The Order of Arceus Book One: The Spears of Power
by QueenPalkia
Summary: Amber is reborn in a future when an evil dictator rules. A legend tells only Arceus can stop his rule. So Amber is determined to collect the Plates to awaken Arceus. But can she with all the confusion, enemies, traitors, and pressure?
1. Prologue

**This is the prologue of my story. Note that this is only the legend of how the world was created, but you must read at least the end for you to understand the rest of the story. Note: Biomegas is a fakemon. I have the link of a picture of him on my profile, so go there. GO THERE!**

Pokémon: The Order of Arceus

Prologue: The Origin

Long, long ago, a creature named Arceus co-existed along with Biomegas and Mew. They lived in a blank dimension of nothingness, completely bored. They entertained themselves by training. As a result, the three beings were incredibly powerful. While asleep, Arceus had a wonderful dream about glorious lands, fields, waters and colors that did not yet exist. The dream made her realize that she had the power to create those things, that she could start life.

Arceus focused her powers and her body dissolved into a snake-like creature with a thousand arms and a mask. With her new thousand arms, Arceus created the universe. She carved the universe in three small days, but then she had a bigger idea. She began crafting a blue sphere in space. She spent seven whole days making and adding to this sphere out of joy. When she finished the beautiful blue sphere, she named it Earth.

Earth seemed quite empty without somebody to enjoy the warm new sun or the beautiful blue sky, or even the dim light of the moon. Arceus herself tried to live on Earth, but she was just too lonely. Biomegas and Mew came with her and together they formed the Celestial Throne on top of Mt. Crown.

Years passed until Mew had a great idea. She said she would populate the Earth, if Biomegas helped her. After nine months of waiting, Mew birthed the first Pokémon Egg. Biomegas and Arceus were amazed at her creation, but Mew vowed that in a while, they would be even more surprised.

"What is this?" The blue deity asked.

"It's a pokémon egg." The pink deity replied.

"What is its purpose?" The white deity asked.

"When the time is right, it will hatch into new life." Mew replied.

Arceus and Biomegas exchanged looks, bewildered.

"Are you seriously telling me that a ball can gain life? You must be testing my knowledge!" Biomegas bellowed.

"No, Bio! From this here 'ball' will come the first Pokémon. And pokémon will populate Earth." Mew said.

"Pokémon? What is a Pokémon?" Arceus asked.

"A creature I made up! Their name derives from 'pocket' since they will fit in my hands and 'monster' since that is what they will be." Mew said.

"Alright, we'll see how this 'pokémon' gets out of this spotted ball." Biomegas said.

They discussed about the egg. After months of waiting, the egg started to glow. From the egg hatched two beings instead of one. Mew named them Palkia and Dialga. The five beings lived together in harmony. Eventually, Palkia grew uncomfortable by the fact that she had wings, but didn't know how to use them, so she tried an experiment. Her 'experiment' resulted in the creation of Space. Dialga grew tired of the sun and wanted something colder. So he experimented and Time started to take its course. For the first time, Palkia and Dialga saw nightfall and the twinkling stars above.

Palkia and Dialga were together in peace, until Palkia laid an Egg. This surprised Arceus and Biomegas, but somehow Mew had foreseen it.

"How incredible, I thought Mew was the only one who could lay an Egg!" Arceus said in amazement.

"Does this mean Palkia and Dialga are a menace to us and nature?" Biomegas questioned.

"I knew Pokémon were a bad idea." He said without waiting for an answer.

"Guys, please. They were meant to do so." Mew said.

"Huh?" Arceus muttered.

"Elaborate." Biomegas demanded.

"Look around! Arcy created a huge world! Do you think it would be fair if only two Pokémon had a chance to witness it? Live in it? Pokémon can reproduce. I made it that way. The children of Palkia and Dialga will have children and their children will have more children and that is how it will go on until the place is packed. However, I will lay a few more eggs to make new species." Mew explained.

"Sounds...wonderful, to be honest." Biomegas said.

There was a smile on Arceus's face. "To think you are doing it for the sake of this world...incredible."

"Thanks. But this world is my life."

The egg hatched months later into Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit. When Azelf was born, Mew got a sudden urge to make more and more pokémon and to keep on going. When Mesprit was born, Arceus started to cry at the sight of the beautiful sunset; at the world she had created. When Uxie was born, Biomegas started to blurt out very smart, random facts. More and more pokémon were born.

Thousands of years later, Arceus, Mew, and Biomegas created their Empire. Biomegas was jealous of his sisters' creations, heck, jealous of his sisters even, but kept quiet. He thought of a plan and told Arceus he wanted to explore the world, so he left to become invisible to Arceus and Mew. He dug a huge tunnel and buried himself in the center of the Earth, which was flowing with magma. He took to a long sleep in which he started collecting power from the world. He was gone for centuries.

Upon awakening, he was even more powerful than before. He used this power to rise from the ground and turn on Arceus and Mew. His sisters, betrayed, battled him and the battle went on for a long span of years and years. Their battle was witnessed by the Pokémon on Earth. Covered in fear, they had no idea what to do. However, the wise Landorus suggested they asked Palkia and Dialga for a plan. The pokémon went to the two Elders for help. Palkia and Dialga could not do anything, but they said Zekrom and Reshiram could.

Zekrom and Reshiram accepted to interfere with the battle, considering they were the strongest beings alive second to their creators- and Biomegas. They started planning on how to do this.

The battle had gotten intense and Arceus feared the demise of her sister, so she grabbed Mew and threw her with all the strength she had onto Earth. Mew landed face-flat on Unova where she met Zekrom and his sister, Reshiram. They presented her with their intentions of assistance and Mew gave them all her Goddess power so they could ascend to the Celestial Throne. Since she no longer had that incredible power, from that day on, Mew was never again a Goddess.

Reshiram summoned light from above to form a staircase shape. Zekrom materialized it with dark powers. They created a huge, white, crystal stairway that lead above the clouds. It was properly named the Sky Stairway. They climbed it together. After some time, they reached the Celestial Throne. Just then, Arceus was firing Hyper Beam and Biomegas was firing Zero Beam (a move similar to Hyper Beam, only that Zero Beam does not have to recharge but makes the user suffer damage until it reaches a number with the 0 in it if it misses). The pair panicked, knowing the collision of both attacks would kill both Arceus and Biomegas. Without question, they jumped in the way of the beams. The power was so strong, the two Elders perished.

Arceus stopped her attacks and wept for the lost lives, the only lives ever lost in her perfect world by her hands. Arceus's sorrow was enough to awaken new strength in her. She regained the form she had taken when creating the universe, her Genesis Form. From the arch of her back, she fired the sixteen, sharp, colorful spears at Biomegas. The Omega Pokémon fell to that great power. Arceus then banished Biomegas from their home and concealed him in the fiery depths of Hell, where he was never to awaken from his long sleep.

After that, however, Arceus turned far too weak to rule the world much longer. She gave the position Giratina instead. Giratina did not want to live in like the original ones had, so he decided he would balance the world from the Distortion World and he did so.

Fearing someone might use the Sky Stairway to Heaven and wreck havoc, Arceus created Rayquaza. The emerald snake was born without feet, so he vowed to guard the Sky Stairway and kept flying in the Ozone Layer, watching out for intruders or anything unusual from space.

Finally, Arceus broke her arch of spears and threw them into Earth. She reverted to her old form and fell asleep on , which was later called . The spears crashed into the Earth like fierce meteors, making many pokémon extinct. The harsh landing broke the spears, and all of them ended up as rectangular objects. Arceus's long sleep would not be interrupted.

Mew found out about everything, and, felt the need to create something new after so many things had disappeared. With the help of Azelf, Uxie and Mesprit, Mew created the human beings.

Humans lived on Earth with Pokémon, but they called them 'Magical Creatures' due to their lack of knowledge but soon enough they learnt the real name. Humans grew more advanced and eventually found some of the meteors that had killed so many pokémon. They named the spears inside Plates. Humans and pokémon passed on tales about the original ones through centuries and believed that if all the sixteen plates were returned to the Celestial Throne, Arceus would awaken and the world would be perfect; everyone would be immortal, evil would disappear, and peace would shroud the world.

However, nobody ever managed to find all the well hidden plates. But they kept trying for thousands of years…

Present Year: 3058 ABZR (after the birth of the new Zekrom and Reshiram)

Biomegas had been reawakened by an evil organization of humans known as Team Plasma. He had threatened to destroy the world. He wanted revenge at Arceus for vanishing him from the Celestial Throne, but he found out she was 'extinct' as some believed. He took advantage of this and used his powers to keep Giratina from exiting the Distortion World to stop him. After Giratina was hopeless, Biomegas attacked the world. He swept cities and continents with his fury and recruited those little survivors and the ones who surrendered to him and his armies.

Humans were almost slaughtered to extinction, and the colonies that remained hid around the world. The pokémon were still very much large in numbers and had bases all over the world as well, though Biomegas's armies keep hunting them.

They believe that if Arceus was reawakened, she would put an end to Biomegas's cruel empire, so the humans and pokémon kept searching the world for her Plates...but only six had been found.

What the world needed now was a hero to collect the plates in order to maintain life...

A hero had to save world.

**EDIT: This chapter has been remastered by yours truly. Happy 1****st**** anniversary, OA! I would like to thank my friends Ana and Brandon for supporting me. **

**Alright, there you have it. If you spot any spelling mistakes or something, please forgive me since the English I know is the one I've learnt watching TV and reading stories here. SO I'm not so good :\ **

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	2. Sent from Above

The Order of Arceus

Chapter One

Sent from Above

It was a calm, cool night out in Sinnoh. Quiet. The wind blew and shook the burnt trees that were starting to re"grow their leaves. I wondered around the Veilstone Ruins calmly, but wary. I could not feel the cold freeze my metal body, but I could tell the temperatures were low. I floated around the ruins looking for the fields. Then, I saw the Meteor Field right ahead.

I strolled on to the grassy field and sat on a meteorite. The rock was hard against my poor tush. These meteors were thousands, heck, even millions of years old. I'd heard that the first Arceus Plates were found here.

"Mistress Jirachi...what brings you here?" A voice disrupted my thoughts.

"Deoxys...! I forgot this was your rock. I'll just sit elsewhere." I said.

I got up from the rock and floated to another nearby. I sat there in silence. After a few seconds, Deoxys materialized from his hideout, the crimson meteor. He approached me slowly, slightly hovering above the ground.

"Good to see you, Mistress Jirachi."

"How can it possibly be good, if any night could be our last?" I said, crossing my arms and scowling. His eyes turned sad.

I ignored the stare and scowled at the night sky.

"The war has drowned Sinnoh, but our colony is safe here." He insisted. How many times had I heard that argument? My answer would always be the same!

"They could find us." I insisted. He sighed.

"Any news?" He asked me, still standing.

"We recruited another newborn last night. He claims to have been murdered in this here place when it was still a city along with his brother by the armies. That was like a thousand years ago, though." I explained. We'd found a pokémon egg in the Demon Forest a month ago, and it'd hatched yesterday.

"Is he a human?" Deoxys asked me.

"No. Though he claims to have been human, he is now a Treecko.

"Treecko? I thought those species were rare."

"They are. They have a small colony in Hoenn. I never thought I'd see one with my own two eyes.

We pokémon had adapted human language. I heard other colonies speak several languages such as French and Spanish, but my colony's language is English. Deoxys learned how to speak it with me.

We sat there in silence. I began to close my eyes, and imagined the world my mother had told me about. A world at peace...where Biomegas no longer reigned. Such a world...remained alien to me. That's what we fought for. In the hopes of seeing peace my mother longed for. She was murdered a few years ago by the armies.

"Mistress Jirachi, we've spotted something in our radars! You must come look, quick! Sandslash came yelling. He panted the words out. I rose to the air.

"What? Tell Vespiquen to ready the missiles! I'm on my way! I shouted. Sandslash saluted me and spun around, digging a tunnel underground and digging faster than a Staraptor could fly.

I used Teleport and left the Meteor Field.

I reappeared in the main battle base. The computerized room looked like a spaceship, like I'd designed it to look like. I stood in the middle of the room and looked at Vespiquen sitting in her computer.

"Ready missiles. I said.

"Should I open fire? She asked.

"No, we don't know what it is yet.

I looked at Metang.

"Radar report, now." I ordered. Metang pressed a combination of buttons and the radar was displayed in a big screen. A large object was shown nearing the ruins from the Northeast.

"What is that?" I asked.

"We have no idea. It might be just a space rock, but we've got to be sure." Monferno told me. Monferno was yet another reborn from a human. He wouldn't tell anyone his real name, but he'd told the other reborns. He'd adapted fast, but he kept going on and on about how he missed his family. I missed my mother, but I didn't complain about it. My guess was that Monferno must've been killed while young, because time heals all wounds and his were wide open and bleeding.

"Get Morty to investigate." I demanded.

Morty, a Mismaguis, came up to me and then left. Morty had been working for me his whole life, since I'd retrived his egg from a battlefield. Sometimes I had my doubts, considering ghost pokémon were tricky and treacherous, but he seemed like a loyal partner. He went to the ruins to check if he could get a good look on the object.

(Morty's POV)

And for the millionth time, I had to do the investigating. Seriously, why couldn't someone else do it?

I floated over the ruins. All I saw were destroyed buildings and signs. I stopped on the edge of a cliff and looked up at the sky. I saw a shooting star. I closed my eyes...and wished for company. Yes, company. All of my time as a pokémon, the only friends I had made were Fuego and a few folks from the colony. I lived alone, with nobody to share. I wanted somebody with me, be it human or pokémon. And so, that was what I wished for.

When I reopened my eyes, the star...was heading right this way! I screamed and ducked under a rock.

Next was the fierce crash. After the noise disappeared, I decided to take a peek. My communicator, which looked just like a hands-free speakerphone, began to vibrate. I had an incoming call and I proceeded to accept it.

"_Morty! What was that crash?" _Fuego asked.

"Relax, it was just a meteor. I'm going to check it out." I reassured him through the microphone.

Fuego was a reborn human like me. He was a Monferno, but he used to be human like a thousand years ago.

"_Gosh, it was? I told her it was just a stupid rock but Vespiquen EXPLODED all over me! What is up with her?"_

"Nobody knows, lil' buddy. I'm going to check this out now." I said. I then turned off my communicator.

As I approached the glowing rock, I felt a strong wave of energy radiating from it. When I finally got to it, the rock had an odd oval shape. It was flashing white and had peculiar, swirly fire patterns. That is when the imaginary light bulb turned on over my head.

"Oh crud buckets, it's an egg!" I shouted in realization. And judging by the flashing, it was about to hatch! Just my luck. I used my Psychic attack to carefully lift it off the ground. As soon as I had it, I teleported back to the Base.

"Morty! What is that!" I heard Metang shout.

"An egg, doufus! What does it look like!" I spat. I didn't mean to sound angry; I was just really nervous.

"A Lava Cookie. It's been years since I've had one..." Mistress Jirachi complained. Yes, I missed the Lava Cookies. They were provided by Lavaridge Town, but that place was destroyed by a volcanic eruption three hundred years ago, so no more cookies.

Just to clear things up, Jirachi was out of the ordinary. First off, 'Wish Pokemon' didn't suit her at all. What suited her best was the word 'bossy'. She was very strict and, well, bossy. She insisted on using technology instead of our own moves for protection. Why? I didn't know. But that wasn't what was weirdest of her. It was her coloring. Her star-shaped head and tails were crimson red, her body was metallic silver, her 'wish tags' were a marine green. She wasn't shiny, but she was something incredible!

Fuego took the egg from me carefully and examined it.

"I say it has three days left." He stated.

"How can you tell?" Vespiquen asked.

"When I was human, I was a pokemon breeder. I hatched a lot of pokémon back then so I am an expert." He explained.

"It must be an alien, I guess. Put it in the incubator." Jirachi demanded. Fuego hesitated. _I _hesitated. Would it be safe to keep an egg that fell from the sky?

"Where did you find it?" Fuego asked me.

"You know that thing we picked up on the radar? Well, there you have it." I simply said. Fuego's eyes widened.

"A flying egg? I've never heard of such a thing! He said, amazed.

"Eggs can fly? Who knew!" Meowth said.

"NO! It fell from the sky like a shooting star!" I said.

Everyone was silent. Jirachi was the first to speak up.

"Take it to the incubator and let the nurses decide what to do with it." She said. Fuego looked sad, as if he knew that egg wouldn't get a chance to hatch. I felt sad, two. I spoke without thinking.

"WAIT! I volunteer myself to take care of the egg. I said. WHAT! What'd gotten into me!

"Alright, it's your burden now." Jirachi said and commanded Fuego to give it to me.

"If you need any help with it, just come to me. I know everything." He said, giving me an encouraging nod.

Maybe I ould get my wish granted somehow. I picked up the egg with Psychic and teleported home.

* * *

3 days later...

I was sitting on top of the egg like Mister Eggy-pants had suggested to keep it warm. I clearly looked pathetic. I was watching intergalactic TV. They were announcing news that Demon Forest, formerly known as Eterna Forest, was beginning to grow again. The trees had been burnt down during a fight between the Infernape tribe and the Magmortar tribe last year.

The egg started to move and it shook me off. I fell to the floor, irritated. The egg was hatching! Damn it, why now? I hurried and turned on my communicator to call Fuego.

"Fuego! Fuego! FUEGO! Do you hear me!" I shouted.

"_Loud and clear, Morty! And, ow, I think you busted my eardrums!" _He said angrily.

"The egg is HATCHING. What do I do?

"Wh-what i-it's h-hatching? O-okay you have to get some warm water, a few towels, medicine and, are you doing these things Morty! Hurry up!" He commanded.

I scrambled up and went to my kitchen. With Psychic, I grabbed a bucket and filled it with water, then I put it in the oven to a high temperature. Then I got some towels and medicine from the counter.

I got the boiling water out of the oven, thank Mew I didn't have hands, and hurried to the living room where the egg was hatching.

A blinding light engulfed my house, and when it faded, the egg was gone. Right there, laying inside the cracked shell was a small...Vulpix?

"Vul..." It murmured.

* * *

**EDIT: This chapter is the remastered version! Happy 1****st**** Anniversary, OA! **

**Well, there is chapter one! I hope you liked it. I'll be working on chapter 2 soon. Also, can anyone guess who the Mismaguis was before being murdered? I guess it's obvious xD But try to guess who Fuego is, too.**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	3. New Life

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Two

New Life

_"I think it's too dangerous, Sophia. We should head back..." Nina, a Ninetales, said to her partner with telepathy._

_"Go out there and be captured by the enemy? Ha! I'd rather die in here than live in that world of war..." Her human partner said._

_"The Cerulean Cave is too dangerous! We will get killed. Sophia, please...think about the team." Ninetales begged._

_"Nina...You know I would never forgive myself if I caused any of your deaths, but I swear...I will protect you, my pokemon!" Sophia promised. They kept running through the dark, treacherous cave. The armies would never find them in there. At least, that's what Sophia thought._

_Sophia Fireleaf was the beautiful eighteen year old Kanto League Champion. Her curly red hair cascaded over her shoulders, her bangs also curled and covering her forehead. She had tan skin. But her prettiest trait by far, was her eye color; rich amber. Over them she wore rectangular glasses. She wore long, dark green jeans that ended at her dark green combat boots. She wore a bright red jacket over a light green shirt, a tea-green cape flowing majestically behind her as she ran._

_They went deeper and deeper into the dungeon...until they thought they were safe. Sophia and Nina sat down for a break._

_"Give us light, Thundaga." Sophia said while opening a pokeball. The Jolteon that came out used Flash and the cave became lit._

_"Good, let's eat." Nina said. She brought out some berries and began eating._

_They could hear the sound of the underground river and the cries of the multiple pokémon. Sophia had taken out a lot already, so they were not attacking anymore. She looked at Nina, her lifelong friend, and sighed. "Don't worry. I promise you you'll get out of this alive." She said. The Ninetales dropped her gaze. "But…what about you?" She asked. Sohia couldn't answer that. She was doomed to suffer the same fate as her father; murdered inside the Cerulean Cave._

_They went deeper into the cave until they saw a dark silhouette in the distance. Thinking they had been spotted, they hid. They snuck their way toward the unmoving silhouette to get a better look…_

_"Who goes there!" The silhouette angrily said._

_"We've been spotted! This is it-we fight!" Sophia stated with determination. Nina nodded and they both jumped at the silhouette in perfect synchronization._

_"Dark Pulse!" Sophia ordered, Nina shot a column of dark rings at the silhouette, but it evaded the attack. Sophia let Jolteon out of his pokeball and commanded a Flash attack. The room became lit and their opponent became exposed._

_"I can't believe it…it's Mewtwo!" Sophia was surprised to see the Genetic Pokemon in all its glory._

_"Whose side are you on?" Mewtwo asked them fiercely. Sophia scowled._

_"Against Biomegas!" Sophia and Nina fearlessly stated. Mewtwo remained calm. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms and then, after a while, reopened his eyes._

_"Then...You must perish!" He shouted, his black eyes full of venom._

_"Flamethrower and Shadow Ball!" Sophia shouted immediately. Nina and Thundaga shot the attacks respectively at Mewtwo, who easily dodged just by sidestepping. Mewtwo dove in and Thunder Punched Nina in the face. He then used Earth Power on Thundaga. In no time, both pokemon were down._

_"Kimiko, it's your turn!" Sophia said as she threw another pokeball into the air. From the pokeball came a Charizard, the Champion's starter._

_Mewtwo seemed impressed as he shot an Aura Sphere at Kimiko._

_"Protect, now!" Sophia commanded. Kimiko covered her face with her wings and a green shield protected her from Aura Sphere. The blue sphere exploded against the shield._

_"Now, use Dragon Rush!" She commanded. Kimiko let out a battle roar then flew up to the ceiling, and began flying towards Mewtwo turning blue. She gained speed as she descended, outmatching Mewtwo and strikng him dead-on. The Genetic pokémon flinched for a few seconds, but got back on his feet to growl. Mewtwo used Thunder Punch and once again, Sophia's pokémon fainted._

_"DAMN IT! Mewtwo's too strong!" She complained in despair. As the Champion, she had never been beaten. Her pokémon escalated over the level of 80, but Mewtwo seemed to be in a level higher than that. However, her pokémon had already suffered wild pokémon battles along the way, and that was possibly the reason why they were fainting so fast._

_"The power of darkness has granted me much more strength, mortal. You and your pokemon are no match for me. I shall be your demise!" Mewtwo said. "Not a chance, clone. Kill me, but leave my pokémon alone." Sophia said. Mewtwo glanced at the fallen Ninetales and wondered._

_"I do not take orders from mortals. Your pokemon go first, girl!" Mewtwo said. He began to prepare the deadliest attack known to legendary pokémon, and aimed straight for Nina._

_The fire type pokémon was starting to get up and her eyes widened at the huge energy Mewtwo was collecting to finish her off. It was over. She had failed Sophia. She closed her eyes and waited for the horrible pain to begin. But it never came..._

_"NO!" Was the loud scream she heard._

_Upon re-opening her eyes, she was met with a far worse sight than death. Her trainer, partner, no, **sister** was oozing blood all over the ground. She had taken the attack for her. Nina felt her eyes tear up and she ignored Mewtwo and ran to the dying Sophia. Before she could say anything to Sophia, she said something, weakly, first. "Take the rest of the team...and go, run, flee. Live, Nina. You...were like a sister to me...and I love all of you...don't die...run...survive...And one day in the future...we...might…meet again..." She weakly said. With the only strength left in her, Sophia removed her pokeball belt and tied it around Nina's neck. She motioned Nina to return Thundaga and Kimiko to their pokeballs. A kind and sad smile grazed the woman's features._

_Nina was already letting tears fall. In a swift move, she returned Kimiko and Thundaga and ran for it. She ran...ran and ran...not once turning back to look at her trainer's body. Mewtwo must've thought he'd done enough, because he never gave chase. He stayed, eying the dying woman. He wondered, 'What drove this mortal to sacrifice herself for her pokemon? What kind of force...?' but never once he had an answer._

_Her vision was becoming bleak, blurry. When she no longer saw Nina, the Kanto Champion closed her eyes, and never moved again._

_Nina ran...and fled the cave. She kept running, though she didn't know where she was headed. All she knew was that she had to run and survive with her friends. Run…and never surrender to the enemy. Never surrender to the enemy..._

_The promise still rang in her ears._

_And one day in the future, we might meet again._

* * *

I felt like I'd just landed face-flat from the sky on the ground. That was odd, I'd thought the Cerulean Cave floor was cold and wet, but it was warm and fuzzy like a carpet. Even odder than that, I thought I was dead, how could I feel the ground beneath me? Well, being dead really made me feel small.

"Where the Hell am I?" I asked myself. I received no answer. I slowly started to open my eyes...only to see a blurry figure hovering in front of me. Wait, hovering?

"A Vulpix. Fuego, the Egg has hatched into a Vulpix. What now?" I heard the blur say. What the heck was it talking about? And who's Fuego?

"Gee, I dunno, Morty. Maybe you should...GIVE IT A BATH! Do you know how much newborns stink? Take a whiff at it and you'll see what I mean." I heard someone say, or yell for that matter. Wait, did it say Morty? Now, that name sounded familiar...

"That's gonna be kind of hard to do, chimp, since I don't have a nose." The blur said. I started to feel my legs. "Who are you?" I tried saying. But my voice didn't come out. Instead, all I heard was 'Vul...?'

My vision cleared, and I saw the figure. It was a Mismaguis holding up a bucket with water and some towels with Psychic. He, assuming it was a male because his name seemed to be Morty, lowered the bucket of water and set it down beside me. Then, I felt psychic energy wrap around me as Mismagius lifted me up with Psychic and placed me in the warm water. It must've been quite a big bucket. The warm water felt nice against my skin...relaxing.

"Wow, I thought fire types didn't like water. Well, Camerupt didn't react the same way when I surprised him with a water balloon last April Fools..." Morty said. Fire type? What the heck?

"You're a pretty little Vulpix, aren't you? I haven't seen one of you for a thousand years..." He said in a baby voice. A thousand years? Wait, what? The Pokedex never said Mismagius could live that long. There had to be something wrong here. Wait a minute...Vulpix! There was definitely something wrong here! I was **not **a Vulpix!

"Who are you and why are you calling me Vulpix!" I yelled. The Mismagius just kept on washing me with a sponge and humming a happy tune. I realized I could not feel my arms. Rather than arms, I had two extra legs. I began to feel very strange. My heart accelerated, just what was going on?

"My, what pretty eyes...I've never seen that color before." Morty said while he brushed my...tail? I guessed I really was a pokémon. Or maybe this was all just a death-dream... I would just get along with this.

I just couldn't grasp the idea of being a pokémon. Now, how in the world could it be possible? I was human! This was all wrong! I was supposed to be frolicking in Heaven or burning in Hell, not with two legs and a tail and soaking in a bucket!

"I'm guessing you want a name, huh little guy...errr...I'm not sure what you are." Morty mumbled. Oh, so didn't know my gender then. He had to check- wait, what! NO! I had to do something to give away my gender! Errr...Aw crap, I had nothing.

"Vulpix! Vulpix, pix!" I tried saying something. "Hmm...Wait right here, little fella." Morty said and he left the room. I sat there in the water, all shampooed. I looked down and saw my reflection. Damn, I really was a Vulpix.

"Alright you just sit there and look pretty. This will only take a second..." Morty said when he returned. He was holding a scanner of some sort and he pointed it at me. A green light flashed through my entire body and then it went back into the scanner thingy. Then it made a 'Ding!'

"Vulpix, a Fire type pokemon. Moves: Ember, Energy Ball, Dark Pulse, Grudge, Wide Slash, and Safeguard. Gender is female. Level currently unknown, just as information about its heritage." The machine said in a robotic voice. Wow, those were some pretty good moves.

"Impressive. Quite a good move set for a pokémon who just hatched. Now the next step is to get you dry..." Morty said, putting the machine down. He grabbed the towels with Psychic and lifted me up. He dried me with the white towels and put me down, just when my hair became all fuzzy. I looked like an orange cotton ball. "Ugh, it'll go back to normal soon. Now...I guess I should give you a name. After all, everyone needs a name. Let me think...Ah! I've got the perfect name for you; Amber. Amber the Vulpix. Just like your eyes!" Morty said, overjoyed.

Who did he think he was, just changing my name? Did he even know who I was? I could have him arrested! My name was Sophia! Even if I was in a different body, I wanted my original name. However…I was pretty lost at the moment…I had to play along…maybe, I could get my name back…So, for now, my name would be Amber, not Sophia. My old name was Sophia Fireleaf. Now just plain Amber...

I smiled at him and he smiled back. Then it hit me, why could he talk and all I could say was 'Vul' and 'Pix'? I guessed I'd have to get those answers later.

"Mister Dumagius? What is it? Is it a boy or a girl? Descriptions, now!" The voice from the microphone said. "Alright, fire-butt, write this down. It is a female Vulpix with amber-colored eyes and one white tail." Morty described. That was right! Vulpix only had one tail when born.

"Alright, but you have to come here so Mistress Jirachi can see her. She's a little suspicious about the 'alien egg' like she calls it." Fuego said. "Alright, I'm on my way." Morty said and the microphone thingy went 'Beep'. Morty grabbed a pink sheet and wrapped it around me with Psychic. Then he held me close to himself with his psychic powers like a parent would do with their baby.

I was carried all the way to gods know where. When I looked around, all I saw were ruins, more and more ruins. I wanted to ask Morty what this place was, but I remembered I couldn't speak yet. I just gave him a questioning stare and then turned my eyes to the ruins to see if he got my message.

"I see you are curious. Well, this place...is the Veilstone Ruins. A very long time ago, this place was a big human city, the biggest in Sinnoh. They used to call it 'city of stone' because of the meteors. But when Bio- I mean, when an evil being raised and attacked the world with his armies, they destroyed this place. Many people died...but some survived and hid somewhere else. A group of pokémon decided to make a colony here, and the Base is where I'm taking you, so our leader can see just how cute you are." Morty explained and smiled.

Veilstone City...was destroyed? But I used to come here with my family every summer to visit my grandparents when I was a little kid! Well...I guessed when the other me was a little kid. My last human memory was when Mewtwo's attack cut through me...and I'd told Nina to flee. So...was she captured? Was this really...the future? I couldn't believe it...

"This is the entrance; just don't move a muscle." Morty said. I stayed as still as a rock as he covered my eyes, probably so I wouldn't see the entrance. I felt a chill wind blow on my face, and in an instant, the warm day air was gone. Now it was chilly. Morty uncovered my eyes so I could see. We were inside some metal hallway.

Morty carried me through the chilly hallway until we reached a steel door with a lot of buttons and stuff.

"Password, please." A computer voice said. "Sixteen spears hidden for millions of years." Morty said. Sixteen spears...nope, didn't ring a bell. The doors slid open…cool! Those doors really deserved to be called doors!

Morty floated in, and all heads turned to us. Among these heads were Vespiquen, Monferno, Metang, Meowth, Sandslash, and a Jirachi. But this Jirachi was different in colors. Her head was crimson red, her 'wish tags' were marine green, her tails were also red, and the rest of her body was metallic silver. Aside from coloring, she was a normal Jirachi.

Morty approached her and bowed his head. She looked at us, more specifically me, with wide eyes. "Is that the newborn? Not what I expected..." She said. Monferno looked at her. "Then what were you expecting, Mistress Jirachi?" He asked her. I recognized the voice as the one Morty had been speaking to, maybe this was Fuego. "I'd been expecting an alien being with three heads, forty eyes and sharp, jagged fangs and with a tail." She admitted. "Well, at least you were right about the tail..." The Sandslash said, eyeing my white tail. He received a glare from Jirachi.

"Well, it's no alien, just a Vulpix." Morty said.

"Then explain why it fell from the sky." Jirachi said.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that, Mistress Jirachi..." Morty murmured.

"...Get her registered then. And since you hatched her, you should give her your last name." Jirachi said, finally. Morty smiled, as if he knew that Jirachi would never dare hurt a newborn pokémon.

"Thank you for your mercy, Mistress Jirachi. Now if you'll excuse me..." Morty said as he turned to the computers with me.

"Mistress Jirachi! We have an incoming transmission from Lady Teph of Irisia!" I heard someone yell. Jirachi turned around sharply, eyeing the big screen. "Accept the transmission! Get her on screen." She demanded. Morty hadn't exited the place, so my guess was that he was waiting to hear what this Lady Teph had to say. Morty turned around to look at the large, flat screen and I darted my eyes to it, too.

A face was seen in the screen. It was a Latias with unusual sapphire-blue eyes and a necklace around her long neck. She smiled warmly at Jirachi, who only glared.

"Hello Star!" Latias greeted.

"This is Jirachi Wishmaker. State your emergency, Lady Teph. What is the reason of you interrupting my duties?" Jirachi said sternly.

"Well...um, ok, right down to the point. A problem has emerged in my home of Irisia, and I decided to flee along with some of my comrades who remain loyal to me. I have nowhere else to run, so I'm on my way to your colony, Jirachi." Lady Teph said seriously. Irisia? I'd never heard of that place before.

"What! What kind of problem are you talking about?" Jirachi questioned. Latias scowled. "A secret organization in Irisia had been plotting to turn the whole colony against me. However, my spy discovered them, but too late. The majority of the colony attacked me, and tried to steal the Plate from me, but we fled. They now serve Biomegas..." She stated, a pained expression on her face.

"I see. I heard the Lilycove colony turned on their leader. I do not understand what's happening, but a lot of colonies have been separated because of that. But mine will always stand, **right?"** Jirachi hissed through her teeth while looking at everyone in the room. I thought she was trying to make sure everyone was loyal to her. Everyone shuddered under her cold glare, even me.

"You are welcome to stay, Teph. One question though...is the Plate safe?" Jirachi asked. "When I said I'd guard it with my life, I wasn't kidding. I have it right here." Latias said, sounding quite smug.

"Alright, what is your transportation?" Fuego asked, adjusting his communicator. He grabbed a chair and sat down in front of a computer.

"Aerial." Latias said simply. Fuego pressed combination of keys and a map appeared on the computer screen. He traced it with his finger before drawing an imaginary circle around an area. "Ok, then. There's a perfect spot for you to land in the Meteor Field. Just watch out for the red rock, that's where Deoxys lives." Fuego stated professionally. "Alrighty, then! I have like five friends with me...Do you mind?" Latias asked. "Not at all." Jirachi said, waving her hand like she didn't care. "Okay! I'll be there in like, five minutes!" Latias said and the screen went black.

What I'd just seen really amazed me. This sort of technology was not only very advanced, but pokémon were the ones using it? And not only that, they could speak human language! This was either the future, or some weird dimension! Where were all the people?

"Lady Teph and Mistress Jirachi have been friends since they were newborns, living in the same colony. But upon growing up, Teph formed a colony in Cianwood Ruins, which was later renamed Irisia. Jirachi came here looking for Deoxys, and she ended up forming her colony here." Morty whispered to me.

"Um, Morty. Do not take that Vulpix away yet. Let's wait for Teph, she's an expert on these kinds of things. You can stay here while she arrives or you could leave the baby here with Fuego." Jirachi said. I saw Fuego's eyes go wide and his mouth fall open. "Since when did I become a babysitter!" He asked, bewildered. "Since I said so." Jirachi said.

Morty shook his head. "I will stay here with her." He said. He floated to a corner and just held me, waiting.

Around three minutes later, we heard sharp banging on the door.

"Wishmaker! What's the stupid password for this thing? It won't open!" I heard a voice say angrily. The banging continued.

Jirachi's palm met her face."Repeat after me. Sixteen spears hidden for millions of years. And stop banging on that door, it was very expensive!" Jirachi complained. "Alright, meanie. Sixteen spears hidden for millions of years." The voice repeated. It was the same voice I'd heard on the computer, so it meant Lady Teph was already here.

The awesome doors slid open. My eyes went wide when what I saw wasn't a Latias. It was a girl, a human girl. She had sapphire-blue eyes, long, brown hair in ponytails that reached her back, and a fattish-form, but she was very pretty. She wore a white dress that reached her knees, red sandals, a necklace that had a small blue jewel, and a small backpack. She smiled warmly when she saw Jirachi.

"Jira! She said in joy." She ran to Jirachi and hugged her. "T-Teph l-let g-go y-you are s-suffocating m-me!" Jirachi choked out before the girl released her arms and Jirachi tried to catch her breath. This girl was Teph? But Teph was the Latias on the screen! ...Right?

"Latias is a species that can transform to look like humans. Lady Teph often takes the form she had as a human years ago." Morty explained to me. I nodded in understanding and he grinned. I think I remember reading something about this on my pokédex...But, Teph used to be human? Maybe I could get answers from her…

Teph and Jirachi started to chat. It was then that I noticed five figures standing behind Teph in the doorway. I identified the figures as Typhlosion, Meganium, Feraligatr, Umbreon, and Espeon. These pokemon were all from Johto. Meganium seemed to be holding a round object on her back. It looked like a rainbow rock. It was an egg, but there was no telling who it belonged to.

"And who are these pokémon?" Jirachi asked. That was exactly what I was about to ask (if I could talk yet). "They are my partners. These three don't want me to say their names..." Teph pointed to Typhlosion, Feraligatr, and Meganium, who shook their heads. Teph pointed to the Umbreon and Espeon. "This is Andre and his wife, Lavender." She introduced them. Andre was the Umbreon and Lavender was Espeon. Jirachi grinned at them. "I see. Well, we have extra homes that they may occupy. Sandslash, show them there." Jirachi commanded. Sandslash saluted her and walked toward the doorway. "Excuse me, ma'am, but Lavender is my wife and we'd like a home together, if possible…" Andre said politely. "Of course. Sandslash!" Jirachi shouted. "Follow me, guys." Sandslash said and began leading them out.

"Lady Teph, I need you for something." Jirachi said. Teph looked at her, confused. "For what?" She asked. "You see, a few days ago an egg fell like a meteor from the sky and into the colony. The Egg was hatched by Morty, one of my agents. It hatched into a Vulpix, but I understand those species have been extinct for some time now. I was wondering if you could check it out." Jirachi said. Vulpix were extinct? WHY! Why Vulpix! Why not Magikarp!

"Ok, then. Where's the little thing?" Teph asked. Morty floated over to her and he lifted me up. "Here she is. Her name is Amber." Morty said. "Oh, how adorable! Lemme hold her!" Teph said and she took me in her arms. It felt nice to be in someone's arms rather than floating in the air with Psychic. She looked at me and smiled.

"Look at those eyes! I say she's a reborn. I mean, Vulpix don't have amber eyes. Only people do. Not only that; Vulpix are extinct." Teph said. Jirachi nodded. "That's what I suspected, too. But it still doesn't explain why she fell from the sky." She said. Teph shook her head. "You never know what destiny is planning. Every single breath of a living creature could be part of its plot. Destiny works in mysterious ways, and maybe this here cutesy is part of the plot and you may not know about it." Teph said wisely. I got the vibe that nobody in this room understood what she just said.

"Morty, is it?" Teph asked. Morty looked at her and nodded. "Yes?" He asked. "Since you hatched her, I guess you should register her with your name." I looked at Morty to see him smile. "Yes, I will." He said, His eyes glowed blue and he took me up in the air with Psychic again. This was starting to get annoying, but I liked being with Morty.

"She might be able to speak tomorrow. Newborns these days only take a while." Teph said. So I would be able to talk tomorrow. That was good; I could finally ask why the heck I was a pokémon.

Morty took me over to a computer. He hesitated at the keyboard and turned to Fuego. "Fuego, may I borrow your hand?" He asked. "My what? No way!" Fuego said. Morty sighed and he used Psychic to take Fuego's hand and control it. While Fuego complained, he used his hand to type what he needed.

Once he finished, he let go of Fuego's hand, who mumbled curses under his breath. Morty told me to look up at the screen.

The screen showed the names of every single living thing in the colony and at the top of the 'most recent' list was my new name. Morty had given me his last name: Salvador.

From now on, I'd be known as Amber Salvador.

* * *

**EDIT: This chapter is the remastered version! As you can see, I added some extra scenes and paragraphs, mostly on Amber's disbelief at her situation. Happy 1****st**** Anniversary, OA!**

**There it is! I'll give a cookie to whoever says what 'Salvador' means! A hint: It's a Spanish name. **

**Okay, so now you know most about the colonies and how the future is. The story will begin slow, but I've got mostly everything planned out. **

**Not accepting OC's anymore! I'll update not so soon...**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	4. Learning to Fight

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Three

Learning to Fight

That was the most comfortable sleep I'd had in years. Back when I was human, I was used to sleeping on the forest floor or on the horrible Pokémon Center beds which had pillows as hard as rocks.

I'd given up on the possibility of this being a dream. Everything was real. Somehow, I felt nonchalant about it now. I had adjusted to my sensitive ears, and I could control my tail. Only thing I wasn't too big about was walking on four legs. Oh well, I had to try.

Morty had not planned on having a newborn living with him, so he'd had nowhere for me to sleep in. Instead, he let me sleep beside him. He slept in what looked like a nest of sheets and pillows. He used Psychic to wrap the sheets around me, and we had fallen asleep in that nest thingy.

I woke up with the sheets still around me, but with Morty nowhere to be seen. I got up from the nest and looked around. "Morty, where are you?" I called out. Wait, I'd actually heard my voice this time. So...I could speak again, awesome. I received no answer, though.

I decided to walk around and look for him. I stumbled several times, trying to get used to my two extra legs. I quickly got the hang of it, though. It looked like doors were extinct because there weren't any. Maybe it was just that Morty couldn't open doors (at least ones with door knobs). While I walked around, I couldn't help but notice how big everything was. Those things were ovbiously the normal size, since I was just much smaller. I tried calling Morty again.

"Morty! Where are you?" I shouted. Almost immediately, I felt Psychic wrap around me and I was lifted up in the air. I ended up on the kitchen counter, looking into Morty's eyes. He looked overjoyed. "Amber! I see your vocal cords have finally adjusted; good for you. And you have such a nice voice, as I expected, of course." He said. I smiled.

"Morty, right?" I asked. I wasn't 100% sure if that it was his name, since I had not been paying much attention yesterday, rather just wondering how this was possible. He nodded. "Yes. That's my name. And you know Mistress Jirachi?" He asked me. I nodded. "Well, she used to have a different name. But she thinks anyone who calls her by her name lacks respect to her. Everyone knows it, though. Her real name is Star Wishmaker." He explained. "That's a pretty name, but, why would she think people don't respect her by calling her that?" I asked. I really was curious. "I...don't know, actually. But I think it's like that Mom and Dad thing. Like if you call your parents by their name and not Mom or Dad, they think you don't respect them." He explained. I got it now, but it was rather silly.

Morty looked thoughtful for a minute. "Eh? Got something on your mind?" I asked. "I just realized…I didn't teach you how to talk. How can you be so intelligent? You hatched yesterday!" He said. I froze. Did I need to make up an excuse, or would he understand if I told him the truth? I decided to go with the second option. "I might've hatched yesterday, but I wasn't _born_ yesterday." I said. I thought I'd confused him; he had perked an eyebrow. "Oh…OH! I get it! Human, right?" He chirped. I blinked. "Yes…?" I said, unsure. "You're a reborn!" He chirped. Reborn? The term didn't sound familiar.

"What…what is a reborn?" I asked. "It's what you are. It's what I am. A reborn is a human or pokémon that died in the past and is born again in a different form." He explained. "I used to be human, way back in 2012." Morty stated. "So that means…I really did die. Tell me, what year is this?" I asked. "It's 3058. Quite a long run for me…" He said. I sighed. "Woah…" I muttered.

My tummy growled then. Morty flashed me a smile and then went over to the stove. He grabbed a frying pan (with Psychic) and cracked two eggs into it. "This is a future where we have advanced technology. Even though we have 'Instant Eggs Just Add Water' these days, I prefer doing it the old fashion way." Morty said. Those 'Instant whatever just add water' things? I'd thought only astronauts used those. Did astronauts still exist? What if Morty was secretly an astronaut? All these stupid questions distracted me long enough for Morty to finish cooking. He put a plate in front of me and I looked down to see eggs sunny-side-up with a piece of toast beside them. He said I should dip the toast in the yellow center of the eggs. But I wasn't going to eat without a fork! I sent Morty a look. "I'm sure what you're probably thinking, but only pokémon with _hands_ can use forks. Did you ever have a pet pokémon when you were human? Well, follow their example." He said. Wait, so I was supposed to eat like a Snubull.

Suddenly a thought hit me, and I decided to ask. "Hey, what makes me different from other Vulpix?" I asked, starting to eat. "First off, you're the only one. Second, your bangs are somewhat curly. Third, you have amber eyes instead of brown." He said. Damn it, me and my freaky eyes.

He ate his breakfast using Psychic as hands while I was just done licking my plate (What did you expect, I hadn't eaten for a thousand years). He put the dishes in a small machine and seconds later they came out clean. Much like a dishwasher, only a million times faster.

After we ate, Morty showed me to the living room. The place had three cushions on the floor, red, blue, and yellow, right in front of the incredible TV. It wasn't like the one I used to have at my house. It was very big with no buttons and one antenna. It was attached to the wall like a plasma screen. He gestured me to sit in the red cushion while he sat in (or just hovered over) the blue one.

"I like to watch Intergalactic TV with my buds when they come over." He said, explaining the number of cushions since he lived alone, as far as I knew, of course. "How do you turn this on?" I asked. "Voice operated. Power on." Morty said and the screen turned on. There was some Kirlia giving a ballet lesson. Morty changed the channel and it landed on some sitcom. We watched the show laughing a little at the super lame jokes until somebody knocked on the entrance (because it wasn't a door, instead it was a big hunk of metal covering a hole in the ground).

"Morty! Let me in, I need to talk to you." We heard from outside. Morty sighed and floated up to the entrance. He clicked a button and it opened. A Monferno came though, looking serious. "Amber, this is Fuego, my work partner and friend." Morty said. Fuego looked at me and smiled lightly. "Have her vocal cords adjusted? Can she talk now?" He asked. "Of course I can. Nice to meet you, Fuego." I said politely. He had a shocked expression for a little second, but then dismissed it. "Well, howdy!" He said.

"So what brings you here?" Morty asked.

"Oh, yes. I needed to inform you that Amber must enroll in Training School. Since she is already able to speak, I say she's perfectly ready. It's a direct order from Mistress Jirachi." He said. School? Aw, man. You'd think that with almost everything destroyed you'd be free of education but look at that! Out of every single thing that could've survived for a thousand years, it just _had _to be school. "But she's so young..." Morty protested. "No excuses, Morty! I'm sorry, but she needs training. She starts at midday." Fuego said. He then patted Morty on the head jokingly and left.

"What up with Training School?" I asked. "Well...these are bad times. Miss Star says that any enemy might find the colony and attack, so we need everyone trained and ready for combat. Thus just a day after being born, a pokémon must attend Training School. The humans build weapons and learn how to use them. You'll learn how to use moves and how to battle..." Morty explained. "Oh gods, that place was Hell for me." He muttered. "Thanks. That makes me feel great." I said sarcastically.

Of course, I knew a lot of strategies for battling. Would I have become Champion otherwise? On the other hand, I didn't know how to use attacks...

"Well, we can't go against what our leader says. Let me get you some things ready and pack your lunch." Morty said. He went to the kitchen and got some snacks in a paper bag. He left it in the counter and left to his room.

I picked up the paper bag, not bothering to look at its contents. Morty came back with a bag.

"I packed some stuff you might need such as a Pecha Scarf, a communicator, a towel in case you take swim class, today's newspaper if you get bored, and finally, five hundred pokeyens." He said as he set the bag beside me. It was a small backpack that I could easily carry.

"Come on, let's go." He said and we left.

When we'd arrived, school wasn't what I'd expected. Instead of a big white building with a playground, it was more like an underground hideout. We'd found no door, so Morty had to use Teleport to get me inside. I'd been wandering aimlessly around the hallways hoping I could find someone to help me.

I was walking around and accidentally bumped into someone. I tripped and fell as I heard them apologize. "I'm so sorry; I wasn't looking! This is my entire fault! I'm soooooo sorry!" They apologized over and over again. I expected them to lend me a hand getting up, but never got it. I got up by myself and looked at them. It was a Gastly with blue eyes under glasses. Now I knew why he hadn't offer help. "It's alright, I'm not so used to walking on four yet." I said. The Gastly nodded. "I'm Shadow. Sorry I made you trip." He said. "I'm Amber, nice to meet you. Mind showing me around?" I asked. Shadow nodded.

He floated around the hallway with me following close behind. Eventually we reached a metal door. The doors slid open-cool-and Shadow led me in. "Shadow! You are late; I hope you have a good excuse." A female voice said, irritated. I looked up and saw the source of the voice. It was a Delcatty, a frustrated one. "I'm so sorry, Mrs. Katty! I bumped into a new student in the hallway and she was lost so I helped her come here." Shadow explained, trying not to anger the Delcatty any further.

"New student? Oh, yes! Miss Salvador, I have been expecting you! Please, take a seat!" Delcatty said, delighted and completely forgetting about Shadow. Shadow was gone and already in his seat (which wasn't necessary since he just floated there). Instead of seats, there were cushions. I sat on a red and orange cushion that I guessed must've been meant for me.

-My name is Prima Katty but you will address me only as Mrs. Katty. I am your History teacher." She said. "Shouldn't we use books or something?" I asked. Normally, people needed text books to take History class. She chuckled lightly. "You must be confused. Those haven't been used for centuries. These days, one must rely on the mind only. So play close attention!" She said.

I looked around and saw the other students. There were lots of pokémon, but not a single person. It was freaky.

"Alright, let's begin. Today we will be discussing the founding of the Veilstone colony. Can anyone tell me who founded the original Veilstone?" Mrs. Katty asked. The original city? I knew the answer to that one! Nobody raised their hands (or whatever they had), except Shadow who stuck his tongue up in the air and waved it. "Me, me, me!" He yelled. I raised my paw. "Yes, Miss Salvador?" Mrs. Katty asked. "The original Veilstone City was founded in the year 700 ABZR when a group of people found the field of meteors. The humans founded a village which later grew into a city." I answered. Mrs. Katty smiled. "Very good, Miss Salvador! I see you weren't born yesterday!" She said. Oh, the irony.

After History class had ended, Shadow had taken care of showing me around the underground school. Most of the school was occupied by big battlefields. "This is the Battlefield. This is the biggest room here, and where we take training class, which is right about...Now!" Shadow said and a bell rang. The bell was barely audible but high-pitched; not the school bell I was used to.

Pokémon started to swarm into the room while Shadow and I tried to avoid being run over. When the hallway was empty, we made ourselves inside.

The room looked like the average battlefield trainers fought in. There were dummies placed in a perfect line across the floor with red targets in the center of their bodies.

"Hello students, I am Coach Blade. The reason I am saying this is because I see we have a new student." A Gallade with a whistle around his neck said. He grabbed a piece of paper and read it quietly.

"Amber Salvador, correct?" He asked, looking at me. "Yes." I said simply. A few heads turned to me. "Well then, welcome to Training Class. I take it you were born yesterday so I'm going to teach you how to fight." He said. He motioned to the dummies. "There are exactly fifty dummies, one for each of you to practice. These dummies will not be destroyed easily, as they are made of metal. I'll leave you to train alone!" He shouted to everyone. The pokémon scattered and started beating up the dummies. Shadow was throwing Night Shade at his dummy trying to damage it, but the thing remained unscathed.

I stayed where I was, unsure of what to do. Coach Blade looked at me and smiled. He blew his whistle and motioned me to follow him. "Let's start off with a basic, fire type move. Inhale deeply and let your lungs fill with heat, and you may unleash Ember. Focus on the target." He said. I tried to follow his instructions; I inhaled deeply. Nothing was happening for a while so I decided to hold my breath. In less than a second I felt some heat inside of me. I felt it rise to my throat, but it did not burn. Eventually I needed air, so I exhaled and out came a few sparks of weak fire. They fell miserably to the floor and immediately extinguished. So much for Ember.

"Not bad, but not good either." Coach said and nodded. "I'm sorry; I'll try again." I said. I kept repeating the process over and over again, Coach Blade watching me closely and patiently. He sighed every time I got it wrong. "Try holding it in for less time." He said. I did just as I was told and as soon as the fire reached my throat, I let it out. Surprisingly, the flames flew and hit the target. I was dazed.

The next few times Ember had come out rather well. After mastering it, I even tried using Energy Ball. But it was the same as Ember, ending up on the floor. It was frustrating to watch it, but at least I knew the basics.

The bell rang and we all exited the room. The rest of the day was interesting; I learned about the current problem with Biomegas. The most important thing was that he was still alive, and that even when people hid and ran, Biomegas still managed to enslave the world.

Shadow was with me the whole time. He was a nerd, sure, but very nice and not annoying. "It's finally over. I can go home and finish that book now..." He said, leading me out of the place (and I didn't even notice how we got out).

"You're a real bookworm, you know? Well, I'm going home too, I can't wait to tell Morty I can use Ember!" I said. I felt good.

"Okey dockey, then. See you tomorrow." He said and floated away.

(Normal POV)

"Give up, Mismagius! You'll never beat us all." Said a Kabutops, sharpening his blades. Morty growled lowly at him, and fired another Thunderbolt at Kabutops. The dome pokémon evaded easily and commanded his followers, a bunch of Kabuto, to attack.

Morty saw that there was no way he could save his Kabuto infested home, so he teleported away before the Kabuto's attacks hit him.

* * *

(Amber's POV)

About ten minutes after I said goodbye to Shadow, I arrived at home. Or what was left of it, it seemed. The door was wide open and I could hear babbling on the inside. The walls had holes on them and the place was filled with water. Someone must've made a hole that connected the sea with Morty's lair so that it flooded. My eyes were wide with horror as a Kabuto jumped from the water and launched itself straight at me.

Those things weren't popular for speed, so I jumped away just in time to dodge. The Kabuto landed on the ground but quickly fired Water Gun at me.

I was trying to pull off an Energy Ball, but before I could attempt it I was swept off the ground with Morty's psychic energy...

* * *

**EDIT: Chapter remastered! Fixed the dialogue style. Happy 1****st**** Anniversary, OA!**

**A/N: I fail at cliffhangers xD Thank you very much for your OC, ultima-owner. I hope you don't mind that I added some glassses I just couldn't imagine him without them. Shadow will get a somewhat-decent role in the story (wwhich means he'll probably be important) and wether he evolves or not, it's your decision. Thank you too, lil' white Raven for your nice grammar and spelling check xD I do this on wordpad so it doesn't correct me automatically. **

**As for my other stories, **_**For the Throne and the Kingdom**_** and **_**The Royal Truth or Dare Show**_**, I will try to update soon, but school started for me now so I'll be twice as busy. BUT DON'T WORRY! I like what I'm planning for this story better anyway :p TELL YOUR FRIENDS! lol**

**-ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	5. Intruders

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Four

Intruders

I felt myself being lifted off the ground by Psychic energy. Water Gun missed me completely, and I was now in the air. A Thunderbolt attack came from behind me, knocking out the Kabuto.

"Amber, are you okay?" I heard Morty ask. "Yes, but I don't find floating in mid-air comfortable." I said. He set me down on the ground. When I looked at him, he was scowling. "We have to go. Leave questions for later and come with me!" He demanded. I didn't say anything as I ran after him.

Why was our home flooded? Who did it? And why was I attacked? "I was attacked shortly after I dropped you off. Looks like some pokémon discovered this colony." He said. That still didn't explain the flood. "Who flooded your lair?" I asked. "A Kabutops and his little followers. That Kabuto you saw was one of them...I couldn't fight them off myself, so I fled." He said.

By the time he finished talking, we were already at the Base. There were guards everywhere, each one looking ready to fight. Morty teleported us inside.

Mistress Jirachi was in the "Attack room" like I called it, looking frustrated while talking to a human girl. I remembered that girl from yesterday, the one who gave the whole 'destiny' speech. Her name was...Steph? No...ah! It was Teph, a weird name.

"...Are you sure you weren't followed here, Lady Teph?" Jirachi asked angrily. "Sure I'm sure! Those pokémon must be from elsewhere..." Teph argued, playing with her brown hair thoughtfully.

"They attacked my lair." Morty said angrily, interrupting their discussion. Jirachi turned to him, her face serious. I shivered a little from her stare and hid behind Morty.

"_Who _attacked?" She asked. "A Kabutops and his friends. They flooded my home." He said. "One of them attacked me..." I said nervously, unsure if Jirachi would even hear me. She looked down at me, staring with serious black eyes. "Attacked? Who attacked you, little one?" She asked. I felt like I had a lump in my throat, but I finally managed to speak. "A Kabuto, Mistress Jirachi. It jumped from the water and attacked me, but Morty knocked it out." I said. Jirachi nodded and looked at Morty.

"So it was a Kabutops?"

"Yes, Mistress Jirachi. They dug a hole into my wall that connected with the sea, and flooded the entire place." He said.

Suddenly, I heard screams coming from the outside. It seemed like the others heard them too, because they turned sharply to the door. Morty teleported us outside, while Jirachi did the same, leaving Lady Teph behind.

The guards (several species of pokémon) were fighting what seemed to be a Kabuto storm. What seemed like hundreds of them were trying to invade the Base, but I saw no sign of their leader.

I saw Jirachi's eyes widen, her mouth dropping open. Lady Teph was finally outside, after flying out of the door at jet speed. "Go back inside, my lady! It's not safe!" I heard a Feraligatr say. It was the same pokémon that came with Latias yesterday, along with the other pokémon. He was fighting off many Kabuto, with a silent Meganium doing her (I knew it was a female because she had shorter antenna thingies) job taking down the Kabuto.

"I can handle this fine, Jonny." Teph said as her head began to glow blue. She rushed at a group of Kabuto and sent them flying with Zen Headbutt. Soon, Jirachi started fighting as well.

"Amber, go hide, we'll take care of them." Morty said, a Shadow Ball forming in his mouth. I shook my head and prepared my own attack. "No, this is my chance to test my new body." I said, not giving Morty time to react and firing Ember at the foes. Sure, Ember wasn't going to do much damage against rock and water type pokémon, but it was the only attack I knew how to use.

Shadow Ball followed my attack, knocking out a few Kabuto. Morty didn't object to my choice, which was a good sign. He was so mad at those things; he didn't even seem to care who fought and who didn't.

The enemy number was decreasing gradually, but so was my strength. Ember can only be used a set amount of times, and it was becoming much harder to perform. I'd seen Lady Teph, Jirachi, and Morty use a wide array of moves like Dragon Claw, Swift, and Shadow Ball, respectively.

"Looks like you came back for a rematch, Kabutops." I heard Morty growl. I turned around sharply to see the leader of the Kabuto; Kabutops. The dome pokémon had very sharp scythes, polished enough for me to see my own reflection, and blood red eyes. He looked fierce, but nothing to scare me; I'd seen scarier pokémon before in my past life.

"Not exactly, _miss_." He said, chuckling at the last word. That made Morty look very angry, being called a girl. "I told you-it's not a dress! It's part of my body!" Morty yelled. Kabutops shrugged. "I don't care. Me and my buds are gonna take down this fancy-shmancy base you have here. But you're in the way. Looks like we'll have to get rid of you first!" Kabutops yelled, running toward Morty.

I felt my heart rate speed up as Kabutops's scythes became night black, a Night Slash, aiming for Morty. I was completely paralyzed, fearing the worst. I closed my eyes and tried for an Ember attack.

Before I could fire my attack I heard a loud thud. Then there was growling from a pokémon that seemed to be in pain. He got Morty! He'd been hit...

Then there was another sound; the sound of thunder striking. I couldn't stand there anymore and opened my eyes. Morty was... just fine! He floated there unscathed, while Kabutops was completely immobile on the floor, grunting and cussing.

He'd used Thunderbolt and paralyzed Kabutops. Why hadn't I thought about that? "I suggest you leave Veilstone along with your friends, Kabutops, or we'll just have to throw you out ourselves." Morty said. His voice was blank, no expression on his face.

Kabutops struggled to get up, but was once again knocked back down on the ground, this time, by Jirachi's Ice Punch to his head. The Kabuto had not stopped attacking, though, and they just surrounded their leader in protection.

Then the cycle continued; blasting more and more Kabuto over and over again. However, the fire that rose to my throat to fire Ember actually started to burn. I guessed this was what it felt like to be running out of PP.

A Kabuto shot itself at me with Aqua Jet at blinding speed. I had no time to dodge and was hit. I felt only pain as I crashed on the floor. Even though I was conscious, I couldn't stand up out of exhaustion. The Kabuto just stood there as it fired Water Gun at me, once again hitting me.

My body was drenched in water, and even though I kept trying to fire Ember, the fire would not rise to my throat. It extinguished on every try. I had no other option but to try another move...before I was knocked out. I struggled to get up, evading another Water Gun completely thanks to that Kabuto's bad aim.

I remembered what I had been taught earlier today. I'd never managed to fully accomplish Energy Ball. If I didn't try one more time, I'd lose the battle. I did what I'd practiced, focusing my energy to just one point in my body. Before I knew it, a green ball of energy started to form in my mouth. When it was big enough, I shot it straight at the Kabuto.

The attack worked. It actually worked. Kabuto was knocked out completely, in just one hit! That move made me feel even more tired, though.

* * *

(Shadow's POV)

I was having a horrible time fighting off those damn Kabuto. I was just heading home, minding my own business...and BAM! Some random Kabuto jumped on me! One of them even broke my glasses. I was blind-fighting. All I could see were blurry colors moving around, which was all I needed to know where those bullies were.

I was just hoping that Deoxys would come out of his rock to help me. He'd found my egg days ago and hatched me. Anyone who finds a pokémon egg is responsible for the newborn. So Deoxys took care of me, but right now he was hiding in his little meteor.

After some time of fighting, I finally managed to knock out the remaining Kabuto. My eyesight was still poor, so I wasn't so sure.

"Shadow, what happened to your glasses?" I heard my friend say. I could easily recognize his voice and tone; he always sounded angry, no matter what was the situation. "Those stone bugs broke them. I can't see you...where are you?" I asked. I heard him sigh. "To your left. I had to fight off the Kabuto, too. I saw them attack the Base; Mistress Jirachi, Morty, and that Lady Latias person were fighting them off. There was another pokémon, but I've never seen her before..." He said. I turned to my left and there was the green blur I wanted.

"Another pokemon? What did it look like?" I asked. Though I couldn't see, I was sure he shrugged.

"It was a small, red pokémon that walked on four." He described. Not much of a description, though. I could name more than three pokémon that fit that description!

"Anything else?" I asked. "It had a white tail." He said. ...Oh! I knew! That must've been Amber! Oh no...she was in trouble!

"Hoja, that pokémon is my friend, we have to help her!" I said.

"Hm? _I'm _your friend and you didn't help me."

"I'M BLIND! Besides, you helped yourself..." I said. I knew he was scowling.

"Fine, but let me get you your spare glasses." He said. In less than a second I recovered my eyesight. I was wearing my new pair of glasses that I'd bought incase mine broke, which they did.

Hoja and I left over to the base. I knew Amber was in trouble; she looked exhausted.

* * *

(Amber's POV)

I was sure that was my last Energy Ball. I'd given everything I could but it wasn't enough. Somehow, the number of enemies never dropped. It was as if they recovered immediately.

The Kabuto I was facing was suddenly lifted into the air by a pair of vines, then flung into the sky, landing elsewhere. It was painful to just turn my head, but when I did I saw Shadow floating there with a worried look. Beside him was a Treecko. The pokémon had ebony eyes and a deep scowl that seemed to be stuck on its face.

"Amber! I'm so glad you're ok. Come on; let's leave this to the professionals!" Shadow said. He started to go in another direction, but stopped when he realized I wasn't following him. He raised an eyebrow. I wanted to get up and follow, but my legs wouldn't move; I was too tired. I wished I could just float in mid-air like he did.

"She can't move, dumbass." I heard the Treecko say. His tone sounded angry. "Please, just help her." Shadow said. The Treecko sighed. Then I felt vines wrap around my waist and I was lifted into the air. Like _that _didn't happen enough to me. As Shadow and the Treecko ran, I was dragged with them. Then I noticed the vines were connected to the Treecko's arms, who must've been the one dragging me. I felt like this was a good time to pass out, so I did.

**EDIT: Yeah…unlike the other chapters, I didn't add any scenes to this one xD Hope you still enjoyed the remastered version! Happy 1****st**** Anniversary, OA!**

**A/N: I know it was a short chapter, but I wanted to demonstrate just how evil some pokémon have become. Before you say anything about Kabuto and Kabutops being extinct...you should know that I respect the pokedex, but I find ways around it. The Fossils were all stolen from Museums around the globe, then Biomegas used his powers to bring them back to life. Then they kept reproducing to be as big in numbers as regular pokemon. This will not be mentioned at any point in the story, so make sure you remember this. Also, a big thank you to Kyogreperson for your OC. I will introduce her in the next chapter, which has a very much fitting title. Next chapter I will introduce all the reborn pokemon, including Hoja the Treecko. You'll learn their stories and all. Just remember that ****after that chapter I will no longer accept OCs that are reborn pokemon****. Regular pokemon will be fine, and reborn humans, too. But there are too many pokemon reborns now and it might be confusing to have more. However, ****at a certain point in the story, I will start accepting them again.**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter! R & R! **

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	6. Reborns

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Five

Reborns

I started to slowly open my eyes. I could see Shadow hovering above me, asking if I was okay. The vines were no longer around my waist and I was resting on a soft material.

"Shut up Shadow, she's fine." I heard that angry voice say. I opened my eyes to see clearly. Shadow's face lit up with joy as he smiled. "Good to see you awake. Do you feel better now?" The Treecko asked. "Yes...but where am I?" I asked. I looked at my unfamiliar surroundings.

"This is Hoja's place. His lair was the only one that wasn't destroyed, it seems." Shadow explained. Hoja must've been the Treecko. Hoja nodded as if to confirm my thoughts.

"We put up a good fight. I had the advantage." Hoja said, his tone quite smug. "We? You mean you and Shadow, right?" I asked. "No, my brother and I." He said.

I looked around the place. It was a warm place, not chilly like Morty's. The cushions were made of grass (or that's what it looked like) and the floor was also covered with grass. The roots of the trees above (since the place was underground) were completely visible, and some decorated with false flowers and pokémon pictures. The lair looked like an underground forest!

"Neat place, huh?" Shadow said, noticing my stares. "Yeah, it looks awesome. Why does it look so...natural?" I asked. Hoja shrugged. "We like the outdoors. So we brought the outdoors indoors." He said. I had to say, the place was awesome.

"Oh, is she awake! Let me take a look at her!" I heard a familiar voice say. Fuego came running to me, knocking Hoja to the ground in the process. He growled lowly as he got back up.

"Okay let me see...you healed quite well. I knew my medicine worked! In your FACE, Hoja!" Fuego chanted, pointing at Hoja's face and doing a little 'victory dance'. Hoja's scowl deepened (if possible).

"Sometimes I doubt we are even related." Hoja said. Fuego ignored him and turned to me. "Fuego? You're his brother?" I asked. "Yeah, but it's hard to see the relation now. When we were humans we looked much more alike!" Fuego said. Wait, humans? Oh. I kept meeting reborns.

"That means you are a reborn, and Hoja, as well. What about you, Shadow?" I asked, turning to Shadow. He smiled nervously.

"Yeah, kinda...Though, they're much older than me." He explained. I was in a room with pokémon that were once humans in the past, just like me. I would've never guessed on my own, while everyone picked up on my past by the color of my eyes.

"I was reborn here a few years ago, alone. Just a few weeks ago was when my brother was reborn. It felt nice to not be alone." Fuego said, smiling. Hoja just rolled his eyes.

"Thank you for healing me, Fuego. But I have to go back to Morty." I said as I got up. "Morty? Humph, that dress-wearing pain in the tuckuss might as well already be done with that Kabuto infestation." Fuego said, frowning. I remembered the way Morty and Fuego acted around each other. "Why do you hate Morty so much?" I asked automatically. "Hate him? No! We're best buds, actually. You should've seen him when he hatched. He was so confused, he freaked out when he saw he had no legs. I was only a few days old but I remember it clearly!" Fuego said with a laugh. Hoja chuckled, as if he'd never heard that story before.

"How long have I been out?" I asked, thinking that maybe I had been unconscious for weeks. "Oh, just a few hours. It's night time." Hoja said. "My favorite time of the day." Shadow said. He had an 'out of character' smirk on his face, which freaked me out a bit. "Errr...okay, you're scaring me." I said, backing away from Shadow a bit.

"It's normal Gastly behavior." Fuego said. "He'll snap out of it at sunrise and start reading a book, then recite it over and over again until school starts..." Hoja said, frowning. I had a feeling that he'd gone through that a few times.

Fuego went into the kitchen and picked up a phone like thing. "Morty, hey, it's me." Fuego greeted. The voice on the other side exploded with anger, making Fuego hold the phone at a distance. I couldn't hear what the voice was yelling, but I knew he was angry.

"She's right here-what! No! I did not STEAL your newborn! Wait a sec-hey, you don't have to start calling me names. Well...JUST COME; SHE'S RIGHT HERE, BALLERINA!" Fuego said angrily and threw the phone to the floor. It didn't even break.

"Err what was that, just now?" Hoja asked. "Oh, Morty said he thought Amber got kidnapped or something and then blamed it on ME!" Fuego said. Before I could say anything, Morty appeared beside me. He had an angry look on his face, sending shivers down my spine.

"Um, thank you, Fuego...I'm sorry for going all crazy." Morty said, now smiling. Fuego gave him a thumbs up. "Hey, don't sweat it dude. I would've done the same if I thought you'd kidnapped Hoja." I looked at Hoja. He was scratching his head in embarrasment, looking like he didn't want to be part of the topic. Morty sweat-dropped. "Ugh...is that supposed to make me feel better?" He asked. "No, it's not." Fuego said with a smile.

I smiled at Shadow and Hoja; Shadow replied with a wide grin, while Hoja just gave me a wave good-bye. We then disappeared from the lair.

I felt chilly air against my skin. I looked up and saw the night sky. The moon was beautiful, but the clouds prevented the stars from being seen. Then again, there were no stars at all.

"Morty, why aren't there any stars tonight?" I asked. I sounded like a little kid asking their mom. "Stars don't exist anymore. They used to represent peace in the world, but now, they're gone." He said. What! No stars! What had the world come to? "Impossible! They're just invisible tonight..." I tried to deny it. "Don't deny it, Amber. It's the truth. I couldn't believe it at first, either. But sometimes you have to accept things. Stars were given to us by our Creator, they were a symbol of peace. But Biomegas came and took them away, locking them away and using them for power." He said. That bastard Biomegas had made the world Hell. One of these days, I would make him pay.

"That must mean he's strong." I said, not actually expecting an answer. But I got it anyway. "He is...nobody has managed to defeat him. I took him on and…here I am." He said. I turned around sharply and looked at him, my mouth hanging open.

"What happened?" I couldn't believe he actually took on Biomegas. As a human, my goal had been to defeat him. But a human could defeat a pokémon. It was proven when I was killed.

* * *

_-When I was human, I was a Gym Leader in the Johto region. When Biomegas's armies destroyed the Burned Tower, I became furious. So I grabbed my pokemon and fled from Johto. I managed to reach Biomegas's huge castle, and even managed to get inside. But as I stood right in front of him, with Gengar by my side...I froze. He just stared at me. _

_"A human and a pokemon..a rare sight in my castle." He said, his red eyes on me. I felt so small in comparison to him. He was insanely big! Gengar started to frown, and I shivered. My courage was gone and all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock. Those eyes were intimidating. _

_"There are no rocks around, young man. And I doubt you could crawl under one." Biomegas said. There'd been rumors that he could read minds, but I'd never believed them until now. _

_"I find it rather amusing that you thought you could come here and defeat me. Hm," He paused and laughed. "Look to your left and see if you have a chance at all." He said. When I looked to my left, I felt myself get pale with horror. There was a pile of bones right beside his big throne. The bones were of people and pokemon, all piled up and destroyed. _

_He laughed when he saw my expression. "Let me tell you what. Since you came all the way here and spared me the trouble of finding you, I'll let one of yours escape." He said. I knew what 'one of yours' meant. The true question behind his was 'Will I kill you or your pokémon?' _

_The choice was clear. I untied my pokeball belt from my waist. My six pokémon were inside, probably listening to everything. Gengar took it in his hand. "I'm not going down yet." I said. Gengar had tears in his eyes, but I nodded slowly to him and he disappeared. I didn't want them to die._

_The white ring around Biomegas's waist split itself and wrapped around Biomegas's neck, giving the impression of them being arms. He swung the ribbon-like arms at me. I was knocked off my feet. From my pocket I pulled out a sharp dagger that used to belong to my father. Biomegas swung his ribbon-like arm at me again, but, I cut his arm with the dagger. _

_Biomegas screeched in agony, but then he became furious. With his other ribbon-arm, he took my knife away with great speed, and before I could think of anything, the same dagger pierced through my chest from behind. The pain was massive, and I saw my blood spill. He pulled the dagger out and pushed me backwards._

_I fell on the cold floor. Everything hurt now, and it was slowly becoming hard to breathe. Biomegas just smirked. He threw the dagger at me, and it plunged into me once again. The last thing I heard was his evil laughter as everything went dark..._

...and awoke as a pokémon years later. That was how Morty described his demise. I had not spoken a single word after hearing his tale. My silence was a sign of respect. That's what I was, silent with that he made me swear I would never try to face Biomegas as long as I lived. I'd already gone silent by then, so I never answered him.

Now I was eating what he'd cooked. I still wouldn't say anything. That story replayed over and over again in my head. So I was right. His name had sounded familiar at first because he used to be the Gym Leader from Ecruteak City. I'd battled him and defeated him, earning his badge. At that time the world was at peace, and he seemed happy to be a pokémon trainer.

He had done the same as I had: choose the life of his pokémon over his own. As a little girl I was taught that pokémon were sacred, and that one day, your love for them would be rewarded. I guessed this was what that meant. I'd sacrificed myself for my pokémon, and so had Morty, and we were rewarded with another life.

But to me, this wasn't much of a reward. I was a pokémon living in a world of war and hatred, with no family. Though Morty treated me like family, he didn't count.

When we'd arrived back to our lair, we had little trouble un-flooding the place. Drying everything hadn't been so hard, thanks to my Ember and Morty's Will-o-Wisp. Anything technological was waterproof, so that explained how Morty could cook.

He prepared my own pillow nest. It was made with pink pillows and orange sheets and placed right beside Morty's pillow nest. I cuddled myself in my little nest and closed my eyes, ready to sleep.

"What a day." Morty sighed when he cuddled in his nest. I nodded slowly.

Today I had to eat like a Snubull, go to training school at midday, sit through classes with outrageously slow teachers, practice Ember over and over again, go to my flooded home, fight off an army of Kabuto, witness the horror that is Shadow at night, and listen to Morty's story of his horrible death. I was exhausted.

Morty then rested his head and closed his eyes. He mumbled something to me, but I had fallen asleep and didn't listen.

* * *

_A young man and I walked around the eerie castle known as Castle of the Omega. We were quiet, avoiding the guards. _

"_Let's go, we're almost there." He said. I followed his steps. _

"_A human and a pokémon. A rare sight in my castle." A loud, ferocious voice said. My partner froze just like that, and so did I. My heart rate sped up as I stared at the fear-inducing creature in front of me. It was a giant creature with a white and blue body and black eyes that immediately turned red when they landed on me._

"_There are no rocks around, young man. And I doubt you could crawl under one." He said suddenly. I looked at the man beside me. He had a thoughtful expression on his face. The rumors were true about this mind-reading beast, and apparently he had answered the man's thoughts._

_I took a closer look at him. He had short, blonde hair and purple eyes. He wore a purple headband with a semi-pokeball design on his forehead and a purple scarf around his neck that had a red tip. Around his waist was a belt with six pokeballs attached. _

_The creature said something, but I did my best to ignore it. But now the man looked horrified. "Let me tell you what. Since you came all the way here and saved me the trouble of finding you, I'll let one of yours escape." The evil being said. _

_The man turned to me, and he gave me a sad look. He handed me his pokeball belt, and I felt my eyes water. I whispered 'Good-bye' to him and turned my back. _

_But I heard a scream. It made me turn around sharply. I eyed his corpse carefully. A sharp dagger was plunged into his chest and a pool of blood surrounded him. All I could feel was fear. _

"_I've never been known to keep promises." The evil creature said. And then he picked up the bloody dagger with his ribbon-like arms and it turned black with dark power. He launched it at me and my whole world fell apart. Voices repeating 'you've failed' and 'you were weak' over and over again. The voices sounded so familiar; voices of my beloved. Physical pain was only minor, but knowing that I'd failed from keeping the world from ruin was a pain that wouldn't go away. _

_The evil being started to laugh evilly as my vision shattered and I felt like I was falling down an endless pit of despair..._

* * *

I awoke from my nightmare when I felt something hot and wet touch my body. My eyes snapped open and I scanned the area. Beside me was Shadow with his long tongue hanging out. He licked me? _Licked _me?

"Amber. I... saw your nightmare. It looked so horrible I thought it'd be a good idea to take it away so I...I ate it." He said, his tongue retreating into his mouth. "I'm sorry for invading like this..." He apologized. I groggily smiled.

"You just saved me from one of the worst nightmares I've ever had. Thank you, Shadow!" I whispered. I just wished I could hug him, but I had no arms.

"What are you doing here at this hour, Shadow?" I realized it was quite late. "Well, I finished my nightly mischief and I remembered today was _the day_. You have to come with me, ask no questions till we get there." Shadow instructed as he signaled me to follow him.

"But, Shadow..."

"Don't ask questions yet! Come on, just follow me." The tone in his voice was sincere and serious, so I had no option but to follow. I looked back at Morty's sleeping figure. He was completely oblivious of my departure.

Shadow led me all the way to another lair. Upon entering, I felt the warm air and the grass beneath my feet. I recognized it as Fuego's place in a heartbeat.

The place was dimly lit, making it hard to see things. Though I could see Shadow's round form, everything else was a blur.

"So, you made it. I thought we would never start." I heard Hoja say. He was hushed by Fuego. "Welcome, Amber. I'm glad you could join us tonight." Fuego said. He, along with some others, was sitting around a big candle that lit the center of their circle-like formation. Beside Fuego sat Hoja, beside him sat a Skitty, and beside the Skitty sat an Elekid, and then Shadow sat down beside the latter. Fuego motioned me to sit beside him so I did.

"What's all this about?" I asked immediately. "Oh great, now we have to explain things." The Skitty complained. She sighed in annoyance.

"Nicole! Don't be impolite, the lady is new." The Elekid said, smacking the Skitty, apparently named Nicole, in the head. He got up and walked to me, then held my paw and kissed it.

"My name is Static McCloud. And what is the lovely lady's name?" He said, a British accent in his voice. I felt a blush on my face; it was a good thing my natural skin color made it almost unnoticeable. "Ugh, I'm Amber." I said. He smiled and let go of my paw. "Nice to meet you. I know we'll be good friends!" He laughed. Then, he was dragged back to his spot by Hoja. Fuego sweat-dropped. "You're a real ladies man, Static." He said sarcastically.

Hoja coughed suddenly as if to say 'get on with it'. Fuego darted his attention from Static and onto the rest of the circle.

"Welcome to my home, everyone. As you all know, we have a new member. She is a reborn, as well, and I plan to let her in on everything. So introduce yourselves." Fuego said. "I'll start." Static said.

"You already know my name, so I'll just let you in on some things. I come from the Solaceon Colony, along with my parents. I was a human like two hundred years ago but I don't remember how I died. And I've been a pokémon for three weeks." Static said. He winked at me but I ignored it.

"It's your turn." Fuego said, looking at the Skitty. She nodded and grinned. "I'm Nicole Katty. My mother is a teacher at the training school. I was born here last month. I was a human fifty years ago and was killed as punishment for insulting 'Mister Evilpants' aka Biomegas to his face when he attacked my home, Fortree City. Oh, and I hate pink." She said. She hated pink? How could she not like her own skin color?

"My turn." Hoja said after a sigh. "I'm Hoja Starstone and I'm thirteen, though I was born as a pokémon a few weeks ago. Ugh, I got killed in a fire. So here I am." He said. "You weren't supposed to say how old you were. Now they now MY age!" Fuego complained. I didn't know what he was talking about.

"Wow Fuego, you're twenty-six? Haha, I always thought you were eighteen or something." Static laughed. "You're old." Nicole said. So that meant everyone knew Fuego was thirteen years older than Hoja but nobody knew their exact age. Twenty-six? That surprised even me.

"Hm, what about you Shadow?" I asked. I was curious about how such a sweet and smart guy like Shadow could've done anything to deserve death. "Um, I...I was a librarian. The armies attacked Canalave...and they slaughtered my family. So I hid in my precious library behind a bookshelf, hoping they would ignore me and move on. But no, they set my precious library on fire. I died along with the books that had filled me with knowledge..." He explained. "Wow, I'm sorry about your library..." I said. Poor Shadow. "It's ok, I memorized every single book, and now they live on in my head." He said, smiling.

"So Amber, we've told you our stories, so tell us yours!" Fuego said. Everyone stared at me. "Well, I'm eighteen and I was born here...two days ago." I started, and I heard Nicole snicker, but I ignored her. "I've got no actual parents so I live with Morty and..."

I explained them my demise. They were all silent until Hoja spoke up.

"Wow, you were the Kanto Champion? I was the Sinnoh Champion, but I died before I could enjoy that title for too long. I wonder if there's a pokémon Champion now..." He zoned off into his thoughts. Fuego smiled slightly and must've decided to let Hoja imagine things without interrupting him.

"It would be cool if pokémon could become some sort of champions." Static said. Nicole nodded. "You'd never become champs, you're just pre-evolution pokémon…" She murmured. Hoja and Static jumped on her. "SO ARE YOU!" They said as they tackled her.

I decided that it looked fun, so I jumped on top of all of them, too. "AGH DOGPILE!" Nicole shouted, trying to squirm away. No such luck. Fuego shrugged. "Oh well, she was asking for it anyway." He said.

After we went back to our spots and let Nicole breathe, Fuego explained to me that he was recruiting me to form part of the 'Reborn Club'. He explained that the goal was to find out why and how we were reborn and learn how to adapt better to our pokémon forms. I accepted his kind invitation.

"Oh, would you look at that? It's sunrise already." Fuego said, looking at the digital wall clock. "Nice to have met you, Amber, but now I must bid you goodbye." Static said. He started to charge up electricity in his arms. Then he swung them down and with the sound of lightning, he vanished.

My mouth fell open and my eyes were wide. I ran to the spot where he once was. "Did you see that! Static j-just went p-poof!" I stuttered. Fuego laughed. "With a couple of weeks of training, you'll learn how to do that with fire." He said. So he was saying I could go poof with fire? That wasn't a pretty thought!

"He transports himself using his own electricity, Amber. Don't be alarmed. Now, I have to go before Mom finds out I'm not home." Shadow said. He disappeared into thin air. Again, leaving me in question.

"Hm, bye ya'll." Nicole said. She dug a hole and left. Then, Hoja dropped a bucket of water with ice into the hole. What followed was a series of curses as Hoja covered the hole with a big rock. I couldn't do anything but giggle.

"Hm, Fuego, Hoja?" I started. They turned to look at me. "Are you related in this life, or in your past life?" I asked. And I knew it was a good question, because it would be weird if a pokémon birthed a pokémon of a different species. Fuego was a Monferno and Hoja was a Treecko, which was the problem. "In our past lives, obviously." Hoja said.

"Amber, you better go. I don't know what will happen if Morty finds out you're here." Fuego told me. Judging by his reaction last night, he would most certainly kill me.

I nodded, said goodbye to Fuego and Hoja and thanked them for letting me in their club. I left the lair and walked home.

The sun was starting to rise. Even though I hadn't had much sleep, I had all the energy I needed. I was at the entrance of Morty's lair, but decided not to enter. Not yet.

The colony was a wreck of destroyed buildings. The world was in chaos. But as I stared at the rising sun, it was almost hard to believe. Almost.

I wanted to make the difference. If only the world had a hero. But there wasn't. It could be anyone, but only a few confronted Biomegas. They'd all failed.

"I will defeat you, Biomegas. Just you wait..." I had promised myself when I'd been human. I still wanted to keep the promise. If there was no hero, then it would be me.

I wanted to save the world.

* * *

**EDIT: Finished remastering the chapters! From this point onward, the story is written just like I wanted. Happy 1****st**** Anniversary, OA! **

**Finished the chapter! Well, since this is chapter five, that means I'm done with introductions. Things will start in the next chapter. **

**Chapter Six! Where the story REALLY kicks off!**

**Let the games begin.**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	7. The Runaways

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Six

The Runaways

My past two weeks had come and gone like the wind. I'd seen Shadow, Hoja, Static, and Nicole around school, and often gathered during lunchtime and after and before school. Nicole could be annoying, but she just loves to make others laugh. She liked to pick on Hoja. I'd noticed that the two spent most of their time trying to think of ways to kill the other.

I'd learned two new moves. Well, not learned, rather knew how to use them. The only move I was having trouble with was Wide Slash, which I had been practicing earlier. I'd been lucky Shadow was a Ghost type, because my attack didn't go too well and I ended up killing an innocent flower but passing right through Shadow.

Morty had shown me around the colony, which consisted mostly of ruins. I learned that only two meteors remained now in the Meteor Field. The rest had been stolen or destroyed.

I was on my way to training school when I heard an explosion nearby. I turned around sharply toward the source of the noise, I could see the base of the colony, smoking.

I had to skip school today. I just couldn't ignore whatever was going on. I took a deep breath and ran toward the base.

I inhaled the smoke as I entered the base. Being a Fire type, smoke fueled my power instead of making it hard to breathe. Surprisingly, the smoke was sweet.

The base was almost empty as it burned. I ran down the hallway and stood in front of the 'attack room' door. I heard familiar voices from the other side. "What are you doing here?" I heard Star's voice. "Hand it over, or I'll burn everything down!" Another voice, one I could not recognize, said. "You know we won't do that. We'll die first." I heard another voice say. It sounded like…Morty! Morty was in trouble! Somebody, the one responsible for this mess, wanted _something_, and Morty and Jirachi wouldn't give it up.

I heard an explosion on the other side. I was very worried, so I began to tackle the door. The metal was hot like fire, but it did not burn me. Seeing my tackles were useless, I stepped back. I inhaled the smoke that surrounded me. From the pit of my stomach rose a very strong flame and once it reached my mouth I shout out a column of fire straight at the door. The Flamethrower burned a hole into the door, big enough for me. The flame blasted a silhouette into a machine, which exploded. I jumped through the door and growled.

I saw Morty with a shocked expression on his face. He was as still as a rock as he stared at me with wide eyes. I crouched and growled as the silhouette started to recover. "Damn this metal suit." His voice was terrifying, a sharp metallic voice full of hatred. "Amber, back off." Morty said. "Let us handle this." He said. His face was a combination of anger and worry. Jirachi glared at the silhouette. I could not see his true form in the fire, but I heard metal clattering to the floor, as if he were falling apart.

"Foolish mortal," He said, stepping out from the flame. I watched him carefully as I felt Morty's ghostly power radiating off his body. You know when sometimes you get the feeling something invisible is watching you? That's called Mean Look. Morty was trying to keep our foe still with his attack, but the move radiated some evil aura around. I made the mistake of looking at him in the eye. One was hollowed black and the other was blood-red. It was disturbing to look at, but his brooding glare did not paralyze me- scare me, maybe- like it had done with the foe.

"You cannot give me the evil-eye. When I recover movement, I'll show you even a ghost can be killed!" He bellowed. His metallic voice was old and frightening. I had to knock out this guy quickly. The fire from the pit of my stomach rose to my neck, mouth and…

My attack was never shot. I was struck with a long, purple tail that felt like stone against my body. I shrieked as I felt the air slammed out of my lungs. I had flown across the room and landed on a machine, which exploded. I felt pain. Though my vision was fuzzy, I managed to see Morty lunge at the figure in an angry burst. Mistress Jirachi created a sphere of energy in her hands, it glowed metallic, and she shot it like a cannon.

I started to get up. My legs were wobbly, like jelly. I started to inhale the smoke around me. It served as energy, helping me feel stronger. Just as my vision recovered and my legs were normal, I saw Morty slam into the wall next to me. Normally he would have passed right through it, but his back just slammed against the wall leaving a nasty crack. He weakly levitated in place, though he seemed to be loosing balance like he was dizzy.

Soon it was Jirachi who was slammed against the other wall. She left a much worse crack on the wall, she even seemed to have glued to it. She gritted her teeth and tightened her fists, and then she broke the wall into nothing but pieces. She recovered much quicker than Morty, maybe because she was a Steel type. The metallic voice laughed evilly. "You are no match for me, mortals." He said.

"Shut up" I said. I saw the long purple tail lunge at me again. I closed my eyes and waited for the impact. I never felt it. I opened my eyes carefully. Mistress Jirachi was holding the tail in a tight grip. "Mistress" I started. I inhaled smoke. "Let me help." I said. She grunted and struggled with the tail. "If you want to help," She started. She was using all her strength to hold back the tail. "On the count of three, fire Flamethrower straight at him." She said. I crouched and began breathing in the smoke. "One," she began, tightening her grip on the tail so it wouldn't fling her away. "Two," She said. Fire was at my throat.

"Three!" She yelled. She let go of the tail and threw herself back as a column of fire shot from my mouth. The fire engulfed the tail, running along it like electricity. "Agh!" The creature screamed.

Before I knew it, the base blew up. We were standing in the charred remains of the base, shielded by a green barrier. I looked around, and I saw my friend Hoja holding up Protect around Morty, Jirachi, and me. Shadow rose from the ground like an authentic ghost and examined us. "School got blasted to bits." He told me. I sighed.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but we've got company." Hoja said, irritated. I almost forgot our little _visitor_. I couldn't see him. A pile of rubble started to shake. The silhouette broke through the pile.

I got my first real look at him. My heart sank. I was staring at death right in the face. Humanoid body, three round fingers on each hand, long purple, charred tail as long as his body, black eyes filled with cruelty and hate. He covered his face with a robotic mask, his chest covered with robot armor and iron claws attached to the back of his palms. "I've had it with you." He said in his raspy voice. I took a step back. "Mewtwo," I gasped out.

He chuckled. Mewtwo reached for his mask and took it off. He had a cruel smirk. I looked at him again. "Well, well, I seem to have a reputation even here." He said. His voice stunned me. Now his voice was old but strong.

I remembered my encounter with Mewtwo on Cerulean Cave a millennia ago. He had seemed young, evil, and full of energy. Now- he still looked evil- but the purple color of his tail was faded. His skin was rather gray. His hands were wrinkled along with his feet. His face was that of an old pokémon's. He had aged, but he was still very much alive.

"General Mewtwo," Hoja said, stunned. His voice cracked. Suddenly, Hoja's voice changed. He sounded more like…his past life; a human. The barrier gave out. He started to shiver; either with anger or fear. "Hm? I haven't been called that in a long time." Mewtwo said, eyeing Hoja. We were all silent, but from the corner of my eye, I could see Morty and Jirachi both gathering energy incase they needed to fire.

"You…you destroyed this place…my home…" Hoja said, anger building in his voice. I got the feeling he wasn't talking about the base. "It was all your fault…" He mumbled.

"Agh, yes. I remember it now." Mewtwo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "What a victory that was. I'd like everyone to see!" He said. His eyes began to glow blue. Suddenly the whole world changed. I was seeing a different image now.

A huge city in flames. I couldn't tell if it was day or night, because the sky was clouded with smoke and ashes. I was standing at the top of a tall building, but I could see every single detail. I could see people- people as in _humans_- running and screaming. I panicked. Where were my friends? I looked around and I relaxed when I saw they were all standing at the border of the building with me, staring down with wide eyes. Hoja recoiled painfully as he watched.

I looked closer. The armies. Pokémon and armored humans armed with whips, flails, torches, swords, javelins, spears, guns, all the weapons I could name. The pokémon were armored and not armed except for some who held swords. Their armor looked like it was from ancient times. The entire army had cruel eyes. They were everywhere; up on the roofs, inside buildings, and on the streets. It was painful to watch the massacre.

Then I saw their leader. He stood on a meteorite watching and laughing as a Tyranitar tore down a building with its armored tail. It was Mewtwo. But he looked much younger, much stronger, much crueler. I looked beside me and saw the real Mewtwo focusing hard to show us this memory. It was as if age weighed him down now. He had struggled to get free of a small Jirachi's hold, and had easily been buried in rubble. The one in the vision looked powerful.

Humans were being slaughtered. Some humans were actually armed and took out a few warriors, but they were eventually overwhelmed by a Salamence. Pokémon of the streets ran away, tried to hide, tried to fight. Bird pokémon flew away, only a few escaping the flaming arrows shot to the sky by the army. Ground types buried themselves and maybe excavated to another part of the world.

I realized Hoja was holding his head between his hands now and curling up into a ball. The vision tortured him. It tortured me, too, but lesser. I guessed he had _lived _this, while I had probably already been dead.

My eyes fixated on a boy. He was maybe thirteen, with long hair and black eyes. He was being chased by a few warriors, but he was outrunning them. He was agile and could easily slide anywhere to avoid the warriors. I saw something that made my heart race with longing. Six pokeballs tied around his waist. He was a pokémon trainer.

He reached a house. The house was one of the few that were not on fire. "_Brother!" _He yelled. He called and called. He opened the door and ran in. The warriors caught up with him. But instead of chasing him inside, they examined the house. The boy was still crying out for his brother, but he received no response. He was desperate, and through a window I saw him enter a room. There was a man in his early twenties gagged and tied up on a bed. He had black eyes and long hair tied up in a ponytail. The boy ran to the man and called his name, but for some reason I could not hear the name.

The boy started to desperately tug at the ropes. The man seemed to be barking at him to stop, but he was gagged. The boy reached for a pokéball. _"Help me out, Weavile!" _He said. A Weavile popped out of the ball. It tore the ropes to pieces. The man got up and took off the cloth wrapped around his mouth. They were brothers, I concluded.

The younger brother grabbed the man's arm and they raced down the stairs. They were trying to escape the city. The Mewtwo of the memory floated over to the entrance of the house, followed by two humans and three pokémon: Camerupt, Salamence, and Rapidash. He laughed a cruel laugh. _"How amusing. They think they can escape me." _He said. He made a signal with his arm. The two human warriors rolled over a boulder in front of the door, preventing escape. "_You're going to need more than a rock to keep us trapped!"_ The older brother yelled from inside the house. He began looking for another exit while his brother pounded on the door.

"_I'm not dumb. You two have escaped me long enough__. Lord Biomegas will be pleased to hear of your deaths, pokémon trainers." _Mewtwo said. It sent chills down my spine as he snapped his fingers. The pokémon surrounded the house and fired flames from their mouths. Immediately, the house caught on fire. I had the urge to jump in, absorb the fire and save them, but Mistress Jirachi put a hand on my head, to comfort me and remind me: this was a vision, a memory, the past.

The man grabbed his pokéball belt and his brother's, and threw them out the narrow window. The pokeballs landed unnoticed on the floor. They shook, and shook, until the pokémon broke out. An Infernape stared in horror at the house, then its eyes became red with fury. It knocked out the Camerupt. Every pokémon popped out of their pokéballs and started attacking, trying to save their trainers. A Gastrodon tried to put out the flames with water attacks, but it didn't seem to be working as the fire got stronger. Mewtwo only watched.

By the time they were done with the soldiers and pokémon, it was already too late. The screams in the house died down, the building collapsed, and no life remained inside. Mewtwo laughed a cold laugh. _"Those two were the only trainers left in the city. Now, we secure victory!" _He said.

The city was destroyed. The survivors had been forced to join the army. They left Veilstone City in ruins, lifeless. The vision obscured. The last thing I saw was the ghostly silhouette of a red pokémon on the meteor field, weeping silently.

We were back at the destroyed base. "Ah, good times. The time when I was young…glorious." Mewtwo said smugly. I looked over at my friends. Shadow looked horrified. Morty was glaring down at the ground. Mistress Jirachi had her eyes closed, her fists shaking in anger. Hoja was worse. He was curled up in a ball, and I realized that he had been sobbing silently the entire time.

I walked over to him. Mewtwo was too caught up in his memories to notice. "That boy…that was you. And the man…Fuego." I mumbled. He raised his head. He growled viciously and nodded.

I can't forget what happened next. He got up and as he lunged at Mewtwo, his entire form changed. A light engulfed the Treecko as he cursed at Mewtwo.

The newly evolved Grovyle struck Mewtwo across his chest with a sharp Leaf Blade. Mewtwo recoiled, a shocked expression on his face. A furious Monferno came from behind and hit Mewtwo with a punch as fast as light. Before I knew it, almost everyone I knew attacked. Nicole came out of a tunnel on the ground and attacked with Water Pulse. Static arrived in a poof of electricity and used Thunderbolt. Fuego attacked with Fury Swipes. Shadow used Night Shade. Morty used Shadow Ball. Jirachi fired Flash Cannon. Hoja used Leaf Blade again. I came in with my own Faint Attack.

I could not believe that Mewtwo had a power burst and blew us all away. He was wounded, a new scar like an X on his skin turning red with oncoming blood. We recovered quickly; except Morty had passed out behind me. Hoja and Fuego leapt at Mewtwo, claws ready. Mewtwo stopped Hoja in midair, grabbing him by the throat.

Mewtwo sidestepped, Hoja still in his grip, and Fuego's attack missed. Mewtwo's grip tightened, making Hoja gasp out for air. "Hey! I'm the only one allowed to kill him!" Nicole growled. She lunged at Mewtwo, but he jabbed her in her chest with his long, swift tail. Nicole screeched before she was knocked into Static, who accidentally fired a Thunderbolt from surprise. The attack bounced off Mewtwo's armor and back at Static, knocking him and Nicole out.

Mewtwo growled at Hoja, but he couldn't growl back because he was loosing air. "I killed you once and I'll do it again!" Mewtwo said. "But this time I'll do it with my bare hands!" He shouted angrily, blood starting to drip from his fresh scar. That's what made me snap. All the anger, hatred, sadness, and darkness rose onto my mind. Inside my mind were dark thoughts.

I hadn't even noticed I had shot a column of black rings at Mewtwo. They hit Mewtwo right in the face, making the Genetic pokémon drop Hoja and fall down. But he was far from out. He rose to his feet. "It'll take more than a Dark Pulse to defeat me, mortal! I've had it with you! Die!" He readied his iron claws.

He lunged at me.

A flash of red was all I saw. Then it became a silhouette. Then the silhouette raised a blue barrier. Mewtwo slammed into the barrier as if it were a wall. The silhouette gained a clearer form. "Deoxys!" Star gasped from behind me.

Deoxys was in his Defense form, hovering above me. Then he turned to his Attack form and one of his tentacles became a fist. He collected ice in his fist and punched Mewtwo in the gut, sending him back.

"Mewtwo! Fight me, you coward. It is I who has what you're looking for." Deoxys said. His voice was deep and young, unlike Mewtwo's old and raspy one. "Do you think I'm a fool, Deoxys? I know you don't have the Plate. I sense it nearby. You are so predictable, just like your people." Mewtwo chuckled, recovering from the Ice Punch and standing up.

"Don't you dare talk of my people like that! Not after what you did." Deoxys said, his voice dripped with venom. "What _I _did? Oh my dear Deoxys, I think you meant what _Lord Biomegas _did. I had nothing to do with the destruction of your home planet." Mewtwo said, shrugging.

Deoxys shifted to another form. I couldn't recognize it. I had never seen his third form, but I'd heard about it. His head looked somewhat like and arrow and his feet turned similar to chopsticks. Maybe it was his Speed form. I didn't see clearly but I think Deoxys struck Mewtwo with his sharpened tentacles like blades. "You led the armies to Deosia! You planted the bomb in my planet! YOU killed my people!" Deoxys said enraged, backing up each word with a jab at Mewtwo.

A strong wind started to blow down on us. The grass swayed around. A huge shadow loomed above our heads. I looked up to see a great ship hovering above us. Imagine a war-jet painted black, with strange markings carved at the sides, making no sound at all. Yeah, that's what I was staring at. A metal door opened from underneath it. Lady Teph, in her real Latias form, flew down at top speed. Her companions, Meganium, Typhlosion, and Feraligatr, jumped out behind her.

"Nathan, Jonny, keep him busy!" Teph commanded. Typhlosion and Feraligatr nodded. They were wearing robotic armor across their chests, arms, and heads. The armor was a futuristic version of Roman armor **(A/N: In this world, Rome was the name of Sotoopolis City in very ancient times)**. The Typhlosion, who I suppose was Nathan, erupted his back in flames and ran inside a wheel of fire. Jonny, I supposed it was Feraligatr, slashed Mewtwo with sharp claws and Nathan followed with Flame Wheel.

Things turned bad when Mewtwo actually fought back. Whatever he used knocked Deoxys into the air. "Deoxys!" Star gasped out in horror. For the first time, I saw fear in her face. Without her base, she wasn't able to fire some destructive missile and finish Mewtwo for good. Deoxys landed next to her but he got back up and lunged at Mewtwo again.

"Amber! Board the ship, now!" Lady Teph said. I looked up and saw Andre, the Umbreon, lower some kind of floating platform from the ship. "Climb on!" he called. I looked behind me. Morty was still out cold, and I would not leave him here. I did my best to squirm underneath him and then I stood up. I got Morty on my back. He was much bigger than me, but also much lighter. I easily carried him. I stepped into the platform and felt it rise from the ground.

"Carla, _rescata a los demás._" I heard Teph command in a foreign language I couldn't understand. The Meganium nodded and vines shot out from her neck. They picked up my unconscious friends.

The Meganium stepped on the platform and boarded the ship, still carrying my friends. She gently placed them on the floor. The inside of the jet looked like a spaceship, only roomier. The platform sealed the exit. Meganium used her vines to press some buttons and a hologram popped up. The hologram showed us the battle going on beneath the ship. The hologram looked like the real thing, colors, details, sound, everything was exact. I even swat it with my paw to see if it was real or not. The image faltered, but it came back just as fast.

Jonny's jaw was clenched around Mewtwo's tail, while the latter was engaged in a fist fight with Nathan. Deoxys lunged with a Quick Attack, but Mewtwo managed to actually fling Jonny at him. Jonny's grip on Mewtwo's tail was gone as he crashed into Deoxys. Nathan looked back at Jonny, which was a mistake as Mewtwo blasted him into the sky with a Psycho Cut.

Up here in the ship, I saw Meganium's mouth hanging in surprise and worry. She clenched her jaw and slammed a button with her vines. Through the hologram I saw the battered and bruised Nathan and Jonny disintegrate. My eyes widened. "What happened to them?" I asked Meganium. She looked at me funny, her antenna dropped to the sides of her face. She bit her lip before answering. "Uh, _yo muy _sorry, _yo_ no speak English." She said. Her accent was very strange; it was the first time I heard her speak. Her voice was kind, like that of your mother's, but filled with apology. I don't know what exactly, but I think she said 'I don't speak English.' I could not communicate with Meganium. Instead, she pointed to the platform and I turned my head.

A little blue dust collected above the platform. Then the dust turned into light, and the light became Jonny and Nathan. They were lying on the platform exactly how they had been after Mewtwo's attack. Meganium ran to them. An aroma radiated off her petals. It was a sweet aroma. It reminded me of flowers, of a wonderful garden with all sorts of plants. Nathan sniffed the air. He started to get up. "Thank you, _gracias._" Nathan said. He was sort of hesitant when he pronounced that last word, which was maybe 'thank you' in whatever language Meganium spoke.

"Get up, Jonny. I know you're just lying around, you lazy pokémon." Nathan said, kicking Jonny lightly in the arm. The water type grunted and sat up, sending the fire type a glare. They started an argument while Meganium hopelessly tried to quell them.

I stared at the hologram. Lady Teph delivered a blow with her claws and struck Mewtwo with Zen Headbutt before he even got a chance to recover from the last Dragon Claw. She was much faster. After Metwo fell down she sent an electric wave toward him. He became cloaked with it, loosing all movement. Then Lady Teph took off toward the ship and the hologram wavered, then it turned off. I heard furious knocking on the platform that sealed the entrance. "Lower the platform! Hurry! Why isn't anyone listening to me!" Teph's angry voice shouted from the outside. Mistress Jirachi got up and hurried to the controls, looking for something to open the platform. I looked around and saw a lever. I ran and pulled it down with my paws.

Lady Teph came flying in through the entrance. She told me to close the lid so I pulled the lever back up. Lady Teph yelled at Jonny and Nathan, who immediately stopped their dumb quarrel. Nathan sat down in front of the controls next to Jonny. "Let's get out of here!" Lady Teph said, hovering between them. "Engines ready. How's the fuel?" Nathan asked, fidgeting a weird button. "Enough for a trip around the world." Jonny said. "HURRY!" Andre shouted. Meganium slammed a button and with great force, the ship moved forward with intense speed. It was so sudden I was knocked into a far wall, along with the rest of my friends. I looked out a window beside me, watching as Veilstone became invisible from the clouds as we flew farther away.

"I wonder what will be of Deoxys…" Jirachi mumbled. She was curled up in a corner. She looked very worried. Fuego patted her on the back. "He'll be alright, I promise. If anything goes wrong, he'll go back to his meteor." He reassured her. She bit her lip. "And my base…my agents…gone…" She murmured.

"Mistress Jirachi" I started. She looked at me with sad eyes. "Yes, young one?"

"Why…why did Mewtwo attack all of a sudden? He was after something." Jirachi frowned.

"He was after the Zap Plate. We did not have it, it was under Lady Teph's protection, but I could not let Mewtwo get anywhere near it." She said. "It's here in this very ship, Star. I'm sorry I caused so much trouble…" Lady Teph said, eyes watering. I didn't want some waterworks to start. "Where are we going now?" I asked. 'I'm not quiet sure yet." Lady Teph said.

After a few minutes of flight, it had become easy to walk around and sit still. We were flying a little slower, watching the sun setting in the sky. I felt like we had circled the world in just a few hours.

"Um, Lady Teph, Carla might know where." Lavender, the Espeon, said. She was cradling a rainbow colored egg with her tail. Lady Teph started to morph. A light engulfed her, and just like that she became human. Just like I remembered her: brown hair, sapphire eyes, pale skin, and slim body. "Yes, of course. Carla!" She called.

The Meganium turned around shyly to face Teph. She had been treating Hoja's wounds and Nicole's broken ribs with her Aromatherapy. "_Sí, mi señora?" _Carla said formally, though I had no idea what she said. Teph started a conversation with her in a language I did not understand. I sighed. Lavender looked at me and began to translate. "She needs to know if Carla knows a hiding place." Lavender translated. "Okay, but what language are they speaking?" I asked. "It's Spanish. Carla's home colony speaks Spanish. But she had become lost and found us, but she's been unable to learn English yet." She explained.

"Hm…just five more minutes, Momma…" Morty began to stir in his sleep. I ran to him. "Morty? Morty wake up, please!" I called. I wish I had hands so I could shake him. Instead, I settled for my weakest Ember. The flames were mere sparks of light; nothing strong. They hit Morty's face. His eyes snapped open in surprise. "What the Hell was that!" He jumped up. I smiled.

Without realizing it, I jumped on him and gave him the best bear hug I could manage without arms. "Amber! You feel so warm." Morty said. He smiled. I got off of him. "Glad to see you're okay." I said. Morty ran his eyes around the large ship with his mouth hanging open. "Where are we?" He asked. It felt nice that for once, I wasn't the clueless one. "Lady Teph's jet. We left Veilstone a few hours ago." I said. He nodded in understanding. "Amazing! This ship is amazing! Does it have a name?" He asked Lavender. She nodded. "Its name is StealthWing. It can become invisible and fly almost inaudibly, hence the name." She said. Wow.

"Okay! Nathan, Jonny! Set course for Azalea Village!" I heard Teph's voice shout in enthusiasm. We all turned to look at her, sitting in the captain chair between Jonny and Nathan. "Yes, ma'am!" They said. I felt the speed increase and the ship beginning to make a turn. I huddled in a corner with Morty and waited. We just waited and waited.

"Amber," Morty said after a while. He woke me from a nap, but I didn't bother. "Your tail," He began. Before he could finish I found myself wondering if my tail had been mysteriously cut off. "It has finally separated into five more." He said. "Huh?" I looked behind me. I don't know how I didn't notice before. The single white tail I'd had for the past two weeks was gone. Instead, I had six tails the color of fire. They looked elegant. I smiled.

"We have arrived!" Lady Teph shouted. Everyone, Teph, Nathan, Jonny, Carla, Andre, Lavender, Star, Fuego, Nicole (walking wobbly and carefully), Shadow, Hoja (trying not to stumble), Static (supporting Nicole), Morty, and I, left the jet. We stood in a clearing, with trees larger than the jet, hiding it perfectly. The place was a big forest, except it was very silent, not filled with life. The canopies were so tall the sky could not be seen, a perpetual shadow above. "This looks nothing like the Azalea I remember." Morty mumbled, but I heard him clearly. I mentally agreed with him. When I had last visited Azalea so many years ago, the forests had been booming with life and the constant noise of pokémon and people filled the area. "This is the Ilex Forest. We're very close to Azalea Village, though." Nathan said.

"Is it a long walk?" Nicole asked. She tried to sound annoyed, but I knew she was actually hoping she didn't have to walk much, since the jab Mewtwo had given her in the ribs had caused her pain. I knew walking so soon would be painful (I'd gotten in many similar situations in my travels, and they had not been pretty). I walked over to Nicole. "How are you feeling?" I asked her. "I am totally gonna die! My chest hurts." She said. What a pessimist.

"Not long! Just a couple of minutes." Lady Teph said. "Let me help you." I told Nicole. She nodded gratefully. Static and I lifted Nicole carefully and I carried her on my back. Static held on to her from the back so she wouldn't fall of. She wasn't exactly light, but I could carry her without much difficulty as we all walked east.

The forest air was chilly and ominous. It was starting to bother me and, apparently, it bothered Static, too. He had a nervous expression on his face as he held on to Nicole. I could change my body temperature, but I didn't know how. I tried to will myself to feel warm, but I don't think it worked.

Morty floated right behind us, keeping watch. The silence was very nerving. Nobody spoke a word; expect maybe the three of us whispering to each other. Static said he'd never been in a colder forest before. Nicole told us about her new plan to prank Hoja.

I looked around. For a horrific moment, I saw a shadow in the bushes that seemed to follow me. My heart started racing. I'd seen scary things before, but rarely did they cause that reaction on me. My breath was steady. The shadow did not come out of the bushes, it stayed, following our every move, but I knew it wasn't any of our shadows. It was _something else_. Static and Nicole were glancing straight forward at the rest of the group, hence they couldn't see _it. _I had an urge to either torch _it _with Flamethrower or drop Nicole and start running. I started to see the shadow had a figure, something with two legs and arms walking behind bushes and trees. It was watching us.

The urge to run got stronger. I had never been known to be a coward, and I wasn't, but running away once in a while couldn't be so bad. It seemed to be getting closer, bringing the chilly and ominous air with it. My heart kept racing. I bared my fangs. Now the urge I had was to make it catch on fire. It was so weird. So…spooky.

Morty floated up beside me, at the side of the shadow. He floated at my side protectively and he emitted a low growl from deep inside his throat that only I seemed to have heard. He floated over to my other side and when I looked, the shadow was gone. It was just gone along with the ominous air. But my heart kept pounding. I could still feel its presence. What was it? Why could I see it, while no one else noticed? And what had Morty done? Did he scare it away? No, Morty wasn't that scary to me. But I was sure he did _something_. My breath started to regulate. Nicole moved her front legs a little to prevent them from becoming stiff. That small movement reminded me I wasn't alone. Whatever the shadow was it probably realized it stood no chance against all fourteen of us.

Yet again…all fourteen of us stood no chance against Mewtwo. We'd had to flee.

Light started to break through the forest. "We've made it." Lady Teph said. She was way ahead of us, leading the group. I barely heard her.

The Ilex Forest was left behind us as we stepped out from the grass and reached a floor of dirt. The sky was visible, as if the trees in the area had been shortened. I saw it was night, with the full moon in the sky but no stars. Lady Teph stopped and waited for everyone to catch up. We were all together now. Nicole was getting heavier, making it hard for me to just stand. Carla ran and pushed aside everyone. She placed herself in front of the group and started to cheer in her language.

I looked around. There were small houses made of leaves, hay, and stones all around the clearing and in the center was some sort of shrine. From the biggest house, one very well made standing behind the shrine, came running out a girl. A girl as in _human. _It was the first real human I had seen since my rebirth. Lady Teph did not count; she just assumed to form of a human, but she was a pokémon. The girl came running toward us with a spear in her hands. Out of instinct, Hoja leaped in front of us and used Protect. The girl came to an abrupt halt. Carla started to speak to her and the girl smiled widely.

"_Mi niña," _The girl started. I couldn't understand her. "_Has vuélto a casa." _The girl cheered. She gave Carla a big hug. I got a close look at her. She had moss-green wide eyes, olive skin and long brown hair that reached her lower back. Her hair was curly. She had a beautiful red flower on her head as an accessory. She wore nothing but a jungle-person outfit, if you know what I mean: skirt and top made of leaves. She walked barefoot and had strange red markings all over her arms, legs and neck. They were tattoos like claw markings or something similar.

Teph waved her hand. "We come in peace." She said. The girl released her embrace on Carla and looked at us. "_Oh, sí._ I am Calypso, welcome to my colony." She said. Her voice had the same accent as Carla's. Lady Teph and Calypso shook hands. "Thank you for bringing Carla home. We have been missing her ever since she went lost." Calypso said. She spoke her English like she was trying to remember the right words. Lady Teph then began to explain things to Calypso but she often used Spanish to help her understand. After a while, Calypso nodded.

"Oh, how horrible. _Véngan, _we have spare homes." Calypso said. She motioned to the other houses with her hand. "Some are vacant," Teph said. "Pick some and share them." She said. There were five vacant homes. Teph let me, Star, Nathan, Fuego, and Andre pick who to share with.

I went into one. It was spacious, with four beds made of plants, lit torches (which made no contact with the hay ceiling), a large mirror, and a few plants as décor. I invited Morty, Nicole, and Static. I felt bad about not bringing Shadow into my cabin, but he seemed okay with Fuego and Hoja.

It was very late and though I wanted to know about this colony like, who lived here, what did they do, and most of all, were there more humans, I was very tired. I lied down on my bed. It felt so nice. "Morty…" I started. "Yeah?" he was floating beside my bed. I wanted to ask him about the shadow earlier, and how he'd made it go away, but I decided now was not the time. "I love you." I admitted. Don't jump to conclusions. I didn't love Morty in a romantic way. I just loved him, like a father. He was so caring, protective, kind. He treated me like his child, and that was nice, because I hadn't been treated like that since I left home when I was ten in my other life.

Morty looked at me and smiled. "That helps me get over what happened today. I love you too, now sweet dreams." He said. He used Psychic to pull the sheets over me. As soon as I closed my eyes I fell asleep.

What a day.

**Wow, long chapter. I hope you** **liked this chapter! Alright, now is your chance to add human OC's! Just jump to the end of chapter two if you wanna see the OC rules again. Well, hope you noticed I changed the dialogue format. I wanted it to look more professional. I hope you like it better this way, but if you don't I can always change it back. …Meh, I got nothing more to say. **

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	8. Calypso's Curse

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Seven

Calypso's Curse

_The ground shook with force. The explosion echoed in the forest, sending a wave of fear to the soldiers. They never expected this day to come. The shrine was destroyed, and the voice of the forest had left with sorrow. They had no protector. _

_Biomegas's__ army advanced through the Ilex Forest, burning down everything in sight as they advanced. Azalea's forces, joined by Violet and Cherrygrove forces, waited by the gates, ready to fight, or die trying. Leading the soldiers was a Shaymin in her Sky Form, cheering on her warriors. "Calypso," One of her human warriors called. "They approach." He said. Calypso nodded grimly. "Vamos hacia la batalla...POR JOHTO!" She shouted in Spanish. Her entire army cheered, and they ran toward their foes. _

_The two armies clashed. The pokémon were biting, slashing, kicking, punching, tackling, __and striking with their moves. Human soldiers were armed with swords, guns, spears, whips, knives, and riffles. They fought bravely. A group of human soldiers beat down a ferocious Garchomp, chaining it to the ground and doing their best to capture it in a pokéball. The Garchomp stopped resisting and it was caught, adding another member to Calypso's army. Beneath the ground, enemy Dugtrio tried to sneak bombs into the battlefield, but prepared Sandslash fought them off and disarmed the explosives. _

_An enemy Blaziken set many trees on fire. It readied a Blaze Kick and aimed straight for a Pokémon Trainer, who had succeeded in capturing another enemy pokémon, but its kick got deflected by a Weavile's Counter. Blaziken struck Weavile with a Fire Punch, but Weavile recovered quickly and bared its claws. With one quick slash, it cut off Blaziken's right hand. The pokémon screeched in pain and it was then taken out by Calypso's Air Slash. The fire became stronger and spread, ending the life of some of Calypso's Grass type warriors. Numbers dropped and rose. _

_The evil forces kept coming back. No matter how many warriors were defeated, they always had reinforcements. Calypso slashed the air and sent a foe Steelix back, crushing a tree behind it. An Aggron's roar echoed, and the pokémon crushed the trees in its way and swung its tail at a group of Calypso's human warriors. They screamed in pain and slammed against a tree. Aggron was soon eliminated by a Hariyama of Calypso's side._

_Calypso took in sunlight, which was dim in the darkened forest, and fired a beam of energy. The Solarbeam struck down countless enemies, and it bought her forces some time to recover. A flaming arrow was shot in her way, but it was stopped by Tropius's Protect. "__Retirada__!" Calypso shouted to her troops, with nothing left to do but retreat. _

_The soldiers had to leave the dead behind, but picked up their wounded companions and ran for the resistant gates of Azalea Town. Calypso held the enemy back with an amazing barrier. Her troops were safely inside Azalea now. "Madam! The town is under attack!" A warrior shouted in horror. Biomegas had sent another troop to attack Azalea from the east. Buildings were being burned down, and the screams of the children and the elderly were heard from far away. "Save the children and the elderly first! __Es una orden_!" _Calypso bellowed. Her troops heard, but there was not much they could do against the ambush._

_Calypso was about to turn back and fight for the town, when a painful blow to her back made her crash-land into the ground. She started to get up, a vicious growl emitting from deep in her throat. She bared her fangs as she recovered and crouched down warily. The enemy army had stopped, eyeing the Shaymin carefully. In front of her was __Red Knight, the leader of the enemy army. He was a Scizor, his armored body scratched and beaten from battle. He had a reputation for his cruelty, and for his great speed at eliminating his foes. _

"_Red Knight, I should've known…"_

"_But you didn't, Calypso, which was your downfall. We will burn Azalea down to the ground, and then we shall move on to Violet and Cherrygrove." He said, voice smug. _

"_No, you shall not! I will stop you…__hasta mi ultimo suspiro_._" Calypso swore. Red Knight chuckled. _

"_Until your last breath, you say? I think that'll be very soon." With that he lunged at Calypso. Typical of him. She jumped into the air and avoided his Slash. She came down and struck him with a Quick Attack._

_Red Knight yelped and turned to face her sharply. He flew into the air, his wings flapping soundlessly, and fired a Hyper Beam at Calypso. Her quick reflex allowed her to evade the powerful beam, which missed her by just an inch. Red Knight was in the air, making no movement but flapping his wings. "You were never good at aerial combat." Calypso taunted as she hit Red Knight with an Air Slash. The Bug type stumbled, but managed to keep flying._

"_I'll prove you wrong." He said. Calypso lunged at him. Red Knight lunged at her, his form becoming engulfed in swirling purple energy. It was too late when Calypso realized he was using a deadly Giga Impact, as he slammed into her with intense power. _

_He watched as her small form collapsed on the charred grass. Calypso was in pain but still tried to get up. As she struggled to get up she realized her front left leg was broken. She groaned in pain and crashed. Red Knight landed next to her, his amused laughter like venom. "Heh heh heh, Calypso, never underestimate me. You were a good opponent. For that, I'm going to be merciful and kill you quick. Any last words?" He said as he drew a knife that had been tied to his waist. He sharpened the blade with his pinchers. _

_Calypso struggled but managed to speak words of pure hatred. "I damn you, Red Knight. I curse you…" She began. The evil Scizor looked at her, his face full of shock._

"_The voice you have quieted_

_Shall taunt you in dreams._

_Every day of your eternal life,_

_Will be filled with pain and suffering._

_No one will want you,_

_Or assist you._

_You shall walk the Earth alone,_

_Forced to protect the treasure you longed._

_Chained down to the evil empire,_

_Nothing to do but follow orders._

_And the day you finally see the light__,_

_Shall be the day of your demise__."_

_Red Knight screeched in pain as the curse was made. He dropped the knife, and it plunged into Calypso's back. The brave Shaymin saw her world disappear, and then she took her final breath and died. _

_Red Knight bellowed in pain, the curse already taking affect. His troops were unfazed, showing no concern for the Scizor. He dropped to the ground, feeling his power slowly fade. "Someone…help me!" He demanded. His troops turned around and started walking away. Neither human nor pokémon listened to his painful calls. _

_He dropped down beside Calypso's dead body. "You won't die, Red Knight. You'll live in pain forever!" A voice said in his head. _

_Hours passed before he got up and flew away, each flap of his wings spreading pain to his body, leaving Calypso's form to rot. But her body withered away and became a beautiful Gracidea, reviving the burnt grass of the Ilex Forest._

_

* * *

_

I woke with a start. I was sweaty and my breathing was shaky. What was that dream? In the last nightmare I had, I was Morty's partner pokémon with him in Biomegas's castle. But the dream had swerved from Morty's story; having Morty's pokémon die, too. I had no idea what this dream was, though. An event of the past?

"Not pretty, right?" A voice said. I jumped up from the bed and instinctively got in position for battle. A pokémon was leaning by the wall, arms folded across his chest, eyes closed, and leg resting against the wall. I could not see him clearly in the dark, but I could tell he had a humanoid figure. "Stories of the past are always tragic." He said. "Who are you? Why are you here?" I barked.

"You overslept, so I was sent here to awake you." I saw him reach up and the torch above him became lit. Once the room was lit, I could see him clearly. He was a Riolu with stunning blue eyes. He wore a brown scarf around his neck. My body relaxed a little, but I was still wary. This guy sure had a lot of nerve to show up here and act all mysterious.

The beds beside mine were empty but neatly organized, as if my friends had never even been there. There was only one torch lit in the room, and the place smelled like flowers for an odd reason. "Again, who are you?" I asked the Riolu. He glared at me. "Not important right now. Come on, Lady Calypso is looking for you." He said. Then he left the cabin.

I followed the Riolu out of the cabin. I really got a weird vibe from this guy. Somehow, he knew about my dream. And I was going to pester him until he told me how. "You know of my dream," I started. "How?" I asked. He ignored me. I growled.

We were at the shrine now. Imagine a big birdhouse made for a Pidgeot; yeah, that's sort of what it looked like. It had ancient markings carved all over, and it looked like it could collapse with a gentle gust of wind. A single Gracidea flower, like the one of my dream, bloomed in front of it. Calypso-the one we had met yesterday not the one from my dream- knelt in front of the shrine praying in Spanish.

"Lady Calypso," Riolu said. "I have brought the Vulpix." He said. Calypso got up and turned to me. She towered over us like a giant. I'd forgotten that some pokémon were tiny in comparison with humans. "_Bien. _What is your name, young one?" She asked.

"I'm Amber Salvador." I said. "I like your last name, it means _savior _in my language. Your friend Morty is waiting for you in the Main House." She pointed to the cabin behind the shrine.

I went into the cabin with Riolu walking behind me. Calypso went in first. "Hey Amber!" Morty called happily before I even saw him. I looked at him; he was floating in a corner chatting with a guy. The man had longish night black hair and sea green eyes. He had pale skin and he was slightly taller than Calypso (who had gone to the other side of the cabin to talk to Teph and Star). "Amber, I'd like you to meet Xepher, a Dream Weaver. You do know what that is, right?" Morty asked me. "Yes, I have. Nice to meet you, Xepher." I said.

I'd been taught about people like him in training school. Dream Weavers were these special humans who could convey dreams to others. They could create a dream, hence the name, and then transmit it to any sleeping creature. How did they do it exactly, I didn't know.

Xepher grinned and patted my head. Then he picked me up (which I was used to already…) and scratched me behind my ears. It felt great. This guy was good! I realized my tongue was hanging out of my mouth, but I left it there. "I've only seen this pokémon species once! In my past life, I'm sure, but…my life as a pokémon is kind of a blur." He said. He had a sheepish smile, and his pearly white teeth were similar to fangs, but nothing to freak you out. "Really, Xepher? I didn't know pokémon could also be reborn. And tell me, which kind of pokémon were you?" Morty asked. Xepher's smile vanished, which was disappointing.

"To tell you the truth, I don't actually recall…Maybe you should ask Bazalt, my former master." Xepher said. He set me down on a table and he pointed to the ground next to him. I hadn't realized it before, but there lay an Umbreon with fuchsia eyes. There was this mysterious aura of authority around him that made me nervous. He grunted at the mention of his name, and then he looked up and locked eyes with Morty.

"You hit yourself in the head pretty hard when we were killed, didn't you? You were a Zoroark, my finest pokémon…" Bazalt told Xepher, eyes never darting away from Morty. He sounded sad, but Xepher just smiled. "Oh, that's right! Now I remember where I saw a Vulpix; we were battling this girl with one and an Eevee…what happened after that, Foolish?"

"She kicked our asses. Man, I was humiliated…" Bazalt complained.

Okay, let me recap: Both Bazalt and Xepher were reborns. Bazalt was, apparently, also called Foolish. Bazalt had been a Pokémon Trainer, and Xepher his Zoroark. Xepher can't remember a thing. Bazalt is bummed because now it was vice-versa.

"Xepher, I think my ability has improved." Riolu suddenly said. I'd completely forgotten about him. "It has? Great! You'll be an official Dream Weaver before you know it. Have you been practicing?" Xepher asked with joy.

"Yeah, on me." I said. It made a little sense now. This snob Riolu was learning Dream Weaving from Xepher, and I was his practice dummy! Riolu chuckled, then he faced me. "I apologize, _your highness_." He scoffed. "I don't even know your name, and you're already walking on _very _thin ice!" I barked. I bared my fangs and growled while Riolu returned the action. "Oh sure, I guessed you were _fragile_." He said.

Next thing I knew, we were at each other's throats. I was just biting and clawing, and he was kind off doing the same thing. He smacked me in the head and I burned his scarf with Ember.

Then Psychic energy wrapped around me and abruptly lifted me from the ground. I was still snarling as Xepher picked up Riolu into his hands and removed his scarf. Riolu was glaring daggers at me. "Amber, please! Play nice." Morty said.

Xepher put out the dim flames on Riolu's scarf easily. He tied it around the scowling Riolu's neck. "You two should try to get along. Fuego and the others are outside, go see them." Morty said. He set me down on the ground and I walked out of the cabin, not caring to meet Riolu's eyes again.

* * *

"How is your ribcage feeling, Nicole?" I asked my friend as I sat with her next to the shrine. Nicole grinned and stood up, jogging in place with ease. "Much better. Calypso gave me this sweet elixir and now I feel better." She said. "Wonderful, now we can plot a new way to prank Hoja." Static said pertly.

"I don't think that would be a good idea, McCloud." A voice said, making us jump. "Oh, Hoja! For a second, I didn't recognize you, what with your new body and all." Static said nervously. I looked up at Hoja, who towered above us now. His new leaves were sharpened and he looked like he just took a nice bath. "Yeah, I'm kind of surprised at myself." His voice was different, it still sounded angry but it was sharper. I can't quite describe it.

"The Reborn Club is having a meeting tonight. Let's gather 'round the river at nightfall. Oh, and take a bath." Hoja said, dramatically pinching his nose. Oh, come on! I didn't smell so bad! …Did I? I sniffed the air. Okay, we stunk but it wasn't so bad. It was just sweat and dirt. Still, I needed a bath.

"Where did you bathe?" I asked. He pointed east with his hand. "There's a river right over there. The Lotad are welcoming, just don't mistake them for actual leaves or they'll attack you." He said. Nicole snickered. "And how do you know they'll be offended?" She asked. "Fuego got Hydro Pumped." Hoja said and Nicole frowned. I guess she thought he was the one who got 'Hydro Pumped'.

Hoja left to train with Fuego somewhere in the forest. Morty kept his chat with Xepher. I and Nicole and Static walked east until we found a river. Nicole was overjoyed and jumped into the water.

"Hello Mister Lotad, may we take a bath in your river?" I heard Static say politely. "Sure, bud. Just don't sit on any of my pals." The Lotad warned and then jumped into the water, letting the stream carry him away.

I slowly dipped my paw in the water. It was warm and pleasant and clean. I carefully advanced and went in. It was important for me to be careful. Water type attacks were lethal to fire type pokémon like me, but water wouldn't hurt me if it was used correctly. It wasn't like I could get on top of a rock and yell "CANNON BALL!" and plunge into a lake. No, that was suicide. This, however, was okay.

Nicole splashed around. Static refused to get in the water, saying he could electrocute all life within a one-mile ratio. Instead, he settled from grabbing water in his hands and rubbing it all over his body. When he got playful, he started doing it all slow while giggling. "Uh, what are you doing?" I asked. "Oh, I'm a little stripper. Where's my money honey?" He said in his best girly voice, dancing on an invisible pole. Then we all burst out laughing. "If you got a job as a stripper, you'd go broke in a week." Nicole joked. "I'd give him two days!" I said.

I stopped laughing when I heard a twig snap. My ears were potent. Nicole and Static silenced after I did. A bush rustled, and Mister Jerkface became visible. Riolu brushed off the leaves that clung to his fur and we locked eyes. It wasn't a glare; he looked rather spaced out.

He cleared his throat. "Um, hello." He said as he approached us. Static was probably praying that Riolu had not seen his little joke. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "I came to take a bath…" He said, but somehow I could tell that wasn't the only reason. He scratched the back of his head as he reached the river. "And…to apologize." He added as he was in the water with us. "Apologize for what?" I asked, smug. I wanted to hear him say it. I think he realized I wasn't letting him off the hook easily. "For making you have a bad dream…" He said lowly. "And?" I insisted. "And…for attacking you and calling you fragile." He finished and submerged his head. Nicole giggled behind me. Static relaxed and sat down, his feet dipped in the water.

The river was very calm and shallow, which allowed me to just sit in the rocks, water up to my neck, and wash myself. I occasionally submerged my head. Nicole was completely submerged, swimming around and trying to scare me by suddenly grabbing my paw. She even pulled on Static's feet and made him fall in once. Luckily, he got out quick enough to not electrocute us.

The Riolu was quiet while swimming around. When he swam past me, I grabbed him by the hips with my paws. His eyes widened in surprise and opened his mouth as if to protest, but only bubbles came out. I didn't know why I had just done that. It was just an involuntary impulse. But my paws were still around his hips.

Riolu slipped through my paws and resurfaced, water reaching only his chest. He gave me a skeptical look and I sighed. "Alright, I accept your apology." I said. "And I guess I'm sorry for burning your scarf…" I muttered, but he heard me. He grinned. "It's okay, that thing is very old anyway." He said. There was a blank expression on his face that I could not read. His eyes showed no emotion, either. "So, truce?" I asked as I extended my paw. He looked at it for a second, but then he took it with his own paw and we shook. "Truce." He finally said.

It was nice to get this out of the way. Then it came to me that I didn't even know his name, so how were we supposed to be friends? "So, you never told me your name." I said casually, wetting my paw and rubbing it around my forehead. "Oh, right. I'm Michael Phoebus; you're Amber, right?" He asked. He had been there when Morty had addressed me earlier, so he already knew my name, but I had to confirm it. "Yeah, and these are my friends Static and Nicole." I motioned to them with my paws and Michael nodded.

After a few more minutes I decided we were clean enough. I got out of the river and Static threw a towel on me, acting all gentlemanly. Nicole had to fetch her own towel, though. Michael picked up the scarf I'd considered destroyed and dried himself with it before tying it around his neck once again.

We were walking back to the village, with Static and Nicole ahead of me and Michael walking right beside me. I started up a conversation. "So, what was that dream about, exactly?" I asked.

The dream had left me puzzled, debating on whether it was a past/future event or just something Michael came up with. He sighed. "Well, I wanted you to know how Azalea Town fell hundreds of years ago. I'd seen you arrive on that jet…and thought you should know about Calypso." He explained. The dream made a little sense now. I knew now that Calypso was a Shaymin and had been reborn as a human. Her jungle-girl appearance kind off gave it away.

There was still something bothering me. That creepy curse Calypso had lain on the Scizor was bugging me. I was trying to figure out the meaning and if it had been real or not. I'd heard that some pokémon gain the ability to lay a curse in their last moments.

Everyone knows the effects of the move Grudge: if the user faints, the foe temporarily looses the ability to use any moves. Then there was Destiny Bond: if the user faints, the foe goes down with it. And the actual move Curse: cut your own health and drain the foe's or raise your abilities in return for some speed. But to actually lay a curse on someone…the ability was some sort of a last resort, a chance to avenge your death.

Another question: how could Michael know exactly how it happened, and transmit it to me in a dream? It was obvious he had not been present in that battle, unless he was a reborn. But he just didn't seem to a reborn, I don't know how, but I could tell he wasn't. Reborns usually have special traits, like my amber eyes, Xepher's fang-like teeth, and Shadows eyeglasses, or some kind of weird aura like Foolish's aura of authority. Michael was different from me, from Nicole, from Static, from Morty, from every reborn I knew. He was just a normal Riolu, except for his Dream Weaver ability.

"But Michael, how do you know how it happened? It couldn't be from your memory, and I know you didn't make it up." I asked. He sighed and shrugged. "It's hard to explain. I'm still a Dream Weaver in-training, remember? I don't think you'd understand…" He said. I knew it wasn't his intention, but he made me sound stupid. I wasn't taking that! "I'm sure I'll understand. Try your best to explain." I urged. He nodded. "Well, Dream Weavers can create dreams or use a memory of their own and convey them to sleeping creatures. But there are other methods. Dream Weaver's can use memories they don't even have." He was right about one thing: I wasn't getting it.

"A memory you don't have? Wouldn't that be like using someone else's?" I asked. "No. Uh, let me give you an example. Okay, a Johto family moves to Sinnoh and they have a kid. Then when that kid grows up he goes on a trip to Johto. But when he gets there, he feels like he's been there before. Have you ever heard of anything like that? It's a feeling in your mind that you just know something." He explained. I kind of understood. It had happened to me before. "I just turned that old tale into a dream." Michael said.

Suddenly I realized Static and Nicole were not ahead of us. We had kept walking and swayed from our path. "We got separated…" I pointed out. Michael closed his eyes and seemed to be in deep concentration.

I looked around and saw we had wandered into a dead prairie. The trees were crooked and bare, flowers without petals and gray leaves, grass brown and charred. The breeze was chilly. The prairie was silent, not even a gust of wind blew to rustle the grass. A voice inside my head said, _Run!_

I supressed the thought and walked around, feeling the ground beneath me. Dead leaves crunched beneath my feet. The ground was very dry and it was clear it had not rained in a long time. The sunlight had dimmed, and I realized that the sun would soon leave the horizon.

I had a very ominous feeling. It was like back at the Ilex Forest, when the shadow had been following me. I hadn't thought about it till now. Whatever that shadow had been, it was here. This place was perfect for a trap. That _thing _was probably hiding, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Panic flooded me. "Michael, we have to leave, find our way back to Azalea." I whispered, grabbing Michael's paw. He opened his eyes and just stared at me. "I can't feel your friends' aura. They must be far away…" He said.

"Let's get out of here; I have a nasty feeling about this place." I urged. If I had to leave alone then I would, but leaving him just seemed wrong. A cold and ominous wind gusted and rustled my hair. The hair on my tails stood up as a sign of alert.

Then I saw it. A pair of blood red eyes peering at us from the dead trunks of trees. The cold gusts came from the direction of the eyes. Michael's eyes widened. I crouched and growled-though I was more scared than fierce.

"You shouldn't have wandered here." The creature slowly stepped out of its hiding place, step by step. It was a Scyther with red eyes. His wings flapped rapidly, even on the ground, causing cold winds. I saw no sign of friendliness in his eyes.

"We were just leaving." I growled. The Scyther chuckled. "This is our territory. Nobody leaves. Hey guys, time for dinner!" He called. Growls emitted from everywhere, shocking me into loosing position. A group of Scyther emerged from the woods, leaving us surrounded. They bared their sharp fangs and readied their scythes. The lead Scyther licked his lips.

I knew the prairie seemed suspicious. Everything always happened to me. This was a twisted world; it's no even been twenty four hours since my last fight, and right now I was going to fight for my life again. Scyther were vicious pokémon, but I had never known them to actually form a group.

I wasn't about to become a Vulpix-ke-bab. Fire erupted in my belly. Michael's back pressed against mine. I heard him growl and bark. I was facing the lead Scyther. I snarled at him, sparks of fire flying from my mouth. "This one's mine." He mouthed. The Scyther jumped.

They lunged at us.

**Don't you just love cliffhangers? A million thanks to HeartGold12, who gave me both Xepher and Bazalt/Foolish. ****Your OCs are very much appreciated. But yeah, thanks to **_**everyone **_**who gave me their OCs, like Nicole who shall be very important. **

**I hope you liked this chapter. By the way, I'd like to warn you that this story shall contain various languages. As said in an earlier chapter, many colonies speak other languages. Right now, Azalea's tongue is Spanish. I only write phrases or words in Spanish so you don't get confused.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own pokémon. Also, Nicole, Shadow, Xepher, Bazalt, and Teph do not belong to me but I use them however I want. **

**Claimer: The Dream Weaver idea is totally mine. Take it without permission and I will kiiiiiiillll you. **

**ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!**


	9. The Knight of Ilex

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Eight

The Knight of Ilex

Being ambushed really sucked.

If only I would've trusted my instincts and ran away, I wouldn't be on top of a dead tree shooting anything that moved. The pack of Scyther kept coming at me like a swarm, saying how I'd be dinner. I didn't even look like a shesh-ke-bab; neither did I want to become one.

It took me little time to realize I was fighting against brainless brutes. They had strength, but wow, were they stupid! No one bothered to notice that Bug-type moves weren't very effective on me or that I could breathe fire and torch their wings. My Flamethrower knocked out many of them, but there were just too many of them!

Then a memory rushed to me. The pack of Kabuto that had kept coming, threatening to destroy the base in Veilstone. I'd given everything in me to ward them off. This was almost the same situation, only that the Scyther wanted to eat me!

Michael was fighting right beside me, shooting any opponent that came close with a Hidden Power move. I couldn't tell what type it was, but it seemed effective against the bug pokémon.

"Ooh I'm gonna eat this tail, then that one, and then the other one with barbecue sauce…" That caught me off guard as I felt someone bite down on one of my tails. They were sharp fangs that made my tail bleed. I yelped and almost skyrocketed before sharply turning around and smacking the Scyther with Dark Pulse. The pokémon screamed pathetically as he was blown off into the distance.

I released a huge column of fire toward the group of Scyther. They burned, screamed, and landed on the floor, defeated. However, I missed one and then I felt the sharp scythe slash my chest painfully. I resisted the urge to scream in pain and instead I torched the Scyther with Flamethrower.

The gash started bleeding. The smell of my blood drove the Scyther insane and they got back up to lunge at me. I bit my lip and suppressed the scream. "Amber, watch out!" Michael warned. I closed my eyes and waited for anything to happen.

Then I felt the ground shake. When I reopened my eyes we were falling; the dead tree had been cut down. Apparently, the flames had made the savage group blind. We fell onto the dead grass and I felt great pain, but I raised my head to see nonetheless. I saw most of the Scyther's faces were bleeding and their wings cut up and I just couldn't help but feel pity. I didn't like this. I was fighting for my survival, yes, but it felt so wrong.

These pokémon were just hungry. They wanted me for dinner. But they were predators. It was their nature. I lost my will to fight, not that I could endure any longer with the painful wound in my chest anyway. "They're blinded. Now's our chance to escape!" Michael whispered, trying not to give away our location.

I nodded weakly and started to crawl toward the forest, where there was life. "Crap, you're injured." I heard Michael say. I kept crawling back, dragging my limp body to safety. Michael tried to drag me, but it just made it more painful. "I smell them! Food!" A Scyther with a high-pitched voice said. The grass rustled and twigs snapped, and I didn't need to see to know they were up and heading toward us.

The next second, Michael was no longer beside me. A Scyther had bitten his tail, suspending Michael in the air. He struggled and barked at it, but it didn't let go. I was next for sure. Of course, I just had to be bitten in one of my good tails. I was lifted into the air. The blood from my chest trickled down my neck and face and dripped to the floor.

"Hey, don't be selfish! Let me have some of that too, bud!" Another Scyther said. The one holding me shook his head, which also shook me. "Sorry…I'm not on the menu…" I muttered as strong as I could. Then I saw the Scyther's eyes widen as my Flamethrower connected with his chest. He screamed in pain, thus dropping me, and landed far away in the clearing, smoke emanating from his body. "Great, he's dead!" His buddy said.

"You'll pay for that. I'm gonna cut you up in lil' pieces!" He said. Baring his scythes, he ran toward me, but I had no strength to counter.

The unexpected happened.

Then, with the sound of ferocious thunder, Scyther was shot into the sky. A black blur seemed to jump out of the woods and toward the airborne Scyther, and then smacked him in the head with a hard blow. The Scyther violently landed in the grass, blood dripping from his mouth. What was that?

"Xepher, help me!" Michael cried. The Scyther that had him in its jaws was too stunned to react when a psychic wave was shot at it. When it connected with its eyes, Scyther passed out and released Michael, probably asleep.

"Foolish, let's take these two back to Azalea. I cannot believe _he _is returning again." I looked up and saw a huge blur. My vision was getting cloudy from exhaustion and pain. By his voice, I could tell it was Xepher. "Snooze, little one. You'll be better before you know it…" I felt some strange psychic power enter my brain, and, before I knew, I fell asleep.

And my dream began.

_There I was, standing in the middle of the forest. The sky was stormy gray, but no clouds were present to prove an incoming storm. I stood on two legs (What?) and yet the trees seemed giants. 'Are you sure about this? The sacred shrine must not be desecrated…' Nina said telepathically. Her nine tails swayed around nervously. I shook my head, hair falling over my eyes. "We won't be 'desecrating' it. I just want to see Celebi. Kurt said it would appear, if I used this." I told her, digging my hands (Hands!) in my pocket and pulling out a pokéball. Instead of red, the top half was golden, and engraved on it were two letters: GS._

_My Ninetales looked at it carefully, examining it. We'd been best friends since I could remember. She sighed. 'Well, go ahead. I'll be right behind you.' She said. I trusted her better than anyone, and if she said something, she meant it. _

_Then I penetrated deeper into the forest. I could feel light raindrops falling on my skin and hair. They fell on the leaves and then slid off to the ground. I untied my black jacket from my waist and put it on, and then I covered my red hair with the hood, protecting it from the rain. I went deeper into the forest until we came to a small clearing. _

_And there it was: Ilex Forest Shrine. It was similar to the shrine in Celestic Town in the Sinnoh region. It looked like some little white cabin with a red roof and no doors. A plaque was placed to the left of the shrine that read IN HONOR OF THE FOREST'S PROTECTOR. On the front side of the shrine were written words in the Unown language. The Unown were often used in most ancient places. I had explored so many places, I'd learned their language. I could read the inscription. I focused, and after a short minute I had it deciphered. _

'_What does it say?' Nina asked. "It says… 'Thou who wishes to find passage, prove thy worth and conquer the test of time…'" The rest I'm yet to decipher." I said. 'Test of time? What on Earth does that mean?' Nina questioned. _

"_I'm not sure…Let me see what the rest says…" I ran my fingers across the surface, clearing the dust. Finally the Unown text was clear. "'O Forest Guardian, protect this forest, and time itself from…from…'" My voice trailed off. In fact, I couldn't talk. The GS Ball was gone. Nina wasn't anywhere near me. Suddenly the world started to shatter like glass. The Unown letters started glowing neon blue and seemed to come out and spiral around me. _

_They screamed painfully. __"FROM WHAT!" _

"Amber, wake up! Wake up!"

My eyes snapped open. I lay on a feathery bed, wrapped in sheets. In my chest remained nothing but a dull ache, and it was covered by some weird, brown bandages. I felt revitalized. I turned my head to see Morty with a goofy smile and Michael on another bed not far from mine. He was wide awake, though he just sat with his head against the pillow and his arms folded across his chest. "Good morning, rise and shine!" Morty chirped. I grinned softly.

"_No creo que regrese, ahora ni nunca." _Calypso argued in Spanish with Teph at the door of the cabin.

"_Pero si lo ha hecho antes, ¿qué te hace pensar que ahora no?" _Teph argued back in Spanish. Her tone made it clear they weren't discussing rainbows and sunshine.

"_¡Silencio! Esta es mi colonia, yo mando. _Xepher! Sound the alarm!" Calypso said through her teeth. Xepher, who'd been standing beside Morty, jumped in alarm and ran out.

Calypso's fists were shaking, but I didn't think she was mad at Teph. Who could get mad at Teph? Anyway, Calypso turned to look at me and my head turned to jelly. There was a grim expression on her face. "_Él jamás se rinde…ahora busca a El Elegido. _Amber, darling, tell me exactly what happened in the Silent Valley." She commanded, though I had no idea what she had said to me in her language. She'd sounded worried, maybe nervous, but she dismissed it.

I told her everything, from when I got lost to when I passed out. Calypso nodded and uttered a 'humph'. "Michael, Amber, rest and relax. Later, I shall discuss with Azalea the matter at hand. But for now, _dulces sueños._" Whatever she said, I knew it wasn't bad. She headed outside with Teph and started yelling orders. Morty sighed and followed them outside, probably ready to get yelled at. Then I laid my head back and thought.

"Those Scyther are savages…So, how's your tail feeling?" I asked Michael, hopping to get him to talk. He sighed. "Better. The burning's gone. And I think I'll be keeping this Scyther fang as a souvenir." He said, holding up a pearly white fang in his paw. The point was bloody, so I guessed it had been buried into his tail. Ew.

"I had another weird dream. I told you I don't like being a practice dummy!" I said. He gave me a skeptical look. "I didn't do anything!" He protested. But if it wasn't him, then who? My first thought was Xepher. He was an expert Dream Weaver, and he even had the ability to send others to sleep, but my dream had not been a memory of his. It had been _my _old memory. A memory buried deep in my mind that I had forgotten. One of when I was human.

How could I have forgotten? That event had occurred a couple of months before I died. At that time I had been traveling the world searching for clues, information on Biomegas. When I was in Azalea, the pokéball maker Kurt had given me the GS Ball. He said if I wanted to find clues, I had to go back in time. That'd sounded like a plan, maybe going back in time to stop all the chaos. He said Celebi would appear if I brought the GS Ball there, then he mentioned something about a test.

But I couldn't remember further than when the Unown letters came to life. All I knew was that Celebi had never appeared.

'_Thou who wishes to find passage, prove thy worth and conquer the test of time…' _It rang in my head. Meaning? I didn't know. The 'passage' part probably referred to 'passage through time'. But how could I prove my worth to the Time Travel Pokémon? By conquering the 'test of time'? I hated tests. Never actually got a good grade when I was in school (and yeah, that includes the training school that got blown up a few days ago).

Why had that memory rushed back to me so suddenly in a dream? I was here in Azalea, a thousand years later, so maybe it was a coincidence. Or…had I been close to the Ilex Forest Shrine? Yes, possible. But I doubted it had survived for so many years. And the shrine here in Azalea was different, too, so it wasn't the real thing.

A loud bell rang through the village. It busted my eardrums. _Bong…Bong…Bong…Bong…Bong…Bong…_ The bell rang five times before it stopped. I saw Michael's ears shoot up while they shook slightly. "That's the assembly bell." He gasped. Then he jumped out of his bed and in spite of his bandaged body, ran out of the cabin so fast he could've broken the speed limit.

That bell had sounded important. So against my tired muscles, I gently jumped off the bed. After I stretched myself and uncurled my tails for exercise, I walked outside. When I stepped outside I realized the village was more populated than I had imagined.

There was a bunch of people gathered, talking all at once in Spanish. I saw from fierce looking women to armor clad men. There were also pokémon, amongst them I saw Michael. His legs were around a Lucario's neck as she held on to his feet. He tried desperately to see beyond the crowd. Beside Lucario was a Gallade arguing with a muscular man. I guessed the twosome was Michael's family and I started to feel nostalgia. I had no family. But now was not the time to complain, I had to know what was going on. So I crouched down and crawled my way under the multitude.

I got stepped on a few times, yelled at, glared at, but I made it to the center; the shrine. Calypso was trying desperately to get everyone to listen to her, but the crowd was too occupied. Teph had gone into her human form, her normal clothes sticking out among everyone. While the villagers were dressed primitively, her outfit was more modern, sophisticated. She wore a long-sleeved red blouse, a white skirt with ruffles at the end, shiny red high-heels, and a necklace with a glowing blue gem. Her brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail. The villagers' attires were similar to Calypso's, only hers was more savage.

"Move away, move away, ¡_muévanse_!" A mean voice yelled. Nicole pushed away some feet and managed to crawl up next to me. I looked at her skeptically. "When did you learn Spanish?" I asked. "Just learned some commands in Spanish from Mistress Jirachi." She said. Nicole and I stood up and we entered the center of the village.

"¡_Calma! ¡Calma! ¡Silencio! ¡Maldición, CALMA PUEBLO!" _Calypso shouted angrily. No one listened. Then Calypso crouched down and I thought she would attack someone, but instead she made a single jump and got on top of the shrine. She hooked her toes on some wood and stood up abruptly, towering above all villagers, her green hair waving in the wind. "Azalea!" She yelled. The villagers quieted, and stared at Calypso in awe.

Beside Calypso floated Star, who I hadn't seen in a while. Their expressions were serious, except for that tiny hint of excitement in Star's eyes. They twinkled slightly, and I imagined only I had noticed it.

"Lady Calypso! ¡_La campana! ¡¿Se acerca un ejército?" _A panicked, muscular man said in Spanish. He was in full armor, a javelin in each hand. On his shoulder was a Staravia, who spread her wings and let out a battle cry. The bird pokémon wore a metal helmet on her head and a small green cape with a flower symbol on her back. In fact, everyone with armor also had a cape with the same design. "I think that's the village's symbol…" I muttered. Nicole nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too." She said.

"No! _No se acerca ningún ejército. _No enemy army approaches. However! I fear the return of…Red Knight." Calypso announced. There were many gasps among the village. I could hear a baby cry and worried murmurs going about. Was Calypso talking about the same guy from my dream? But the event had been long ago; it was impossible. But…

'_Every day of your eternal life will be filled with pain and suffering.' _Eternal life… If the curse was real, then we had a problem. I urged Calypso to go on. "Red Knight? I thought he died a long time ago."

Calypso glared down at me. "No, he cannot actually die. Red Knight and I have been rivals for centuries. He stays away from Azalea, but lately he has been acting suspicious. The pack of Scyther that attacked was one of his tricks. He swore that he would find the Chosen One. If the Chosen One is among us, we cannot allow Red Knight to find them. Or else, we will have no hope of freedom." She said. Nicole shifted uncomfortably, and I suspected there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Lady Calypso, what is this about a 'Chosen One'?" I heard Fuego ask. I looked around until I caught that small fire on the tip of his tail. He was hanging by a tree branch with Hoja, probably to get a good view and get away from the nervous crowd. Shadow floated between them, looking like he would pee himself any minute (But I wasn't pretty sure Gastly could pee…).

"The Great Absol foretold twenty years ago that the heavens would send a savior to Earth, a savior who would awaken Arceus and put an end to the horrible ruler Biomegas. He said that the Chosen One would free us. And so, Biomegas feels threatened by the Chosen One, and has sent several of his accomplices to find them. That is what we cannot allow."

My heart rate sped up. A savior sent from the heavens? Heavens as in, from the sky? What if I was…I mean, why else would Red Knight be returning just when _I_ was in Azalea? Well, it could be any other of my friends. They'd also arrived. And Star, Jirachi had been said to come from space. I stuck to the possibilities.

"¿_Y qué hacemos? _Lady Calypso, ¡_peligramos!" _A woman with a bazooka tied to her back said. "We are not in mortal danger. What we must do is find this Chosen One and take down Red Knight. Or vice-versa." Calypso said. "I vote we go after Red Knight first!" Michael yelled. The villagers cheered. "¡_Muerte al Caballero Rojo!" _They chanted. "That means 'death to Red Knight', just in case you didn't know." Nicole said. I nodded.

Calypso closed her eyes in deep concentration. When she opened them they were filled with excitement, anger, and fear. She nodded to Star. "It is decided. We will split and make separate search parties consisting of three, each. Those up for battle, step forward!" Star demanded.

Hesitantly, a few women stepped forward first. They were followed by armor clad young men, possibly their husbands. Then the pokémon followed. Michael leaped from his mother's shoulders and landed in front of Calypso. His mother barked and begged him to come back, but he shook his head. Fuego and Hoja swung from their branch and joined the group. Fuego saluted Star, while Hoja just nodded awkwardly. Morty appeared beside them. Static 'poofed' in with his lightning beside us. He gave me a dumb wink (I face-palmed mentally) and stepped forward with his head in the air proudly. Maybe he was trying to impress me. Totally not working.

Nicole hesitantly stood up. My eyes widened. She followed Static and joined the group. Morty floated over my head without noticing me and joined in. "We need one more! Anyone else care to join?" Teph questioned. If all my friends were going, then I was, too. Besides, I wanted to get payback at that guy for sending the Scyther! I shook off my nerves and walked into the group with my head up in the air. Star looked at me, studied my face, and nodded. "Very well, the rest of you go back to your daily duties!" She bellowed. The rest of the crowd dispersed.

"Okay, we will separate you into groups of three. Alright! Let me see…" Calypso said as she studied us. We were in Silent Valley, where I'd been attacked by the Scyther. Traces of the battle remained, like the blood that stained the grass. Calypso had a bazooka strapped to her back and knives strapped to each of her thighs. Her skirt had been reduced to nothing but leaf…panties, for better movement. She looked like those assassin women you saw in movies.

Teph was dressed similar, only her outfit was made of leather. She had a sharp knife in her hand and she had her face painted with tribal designs. I felt these two were taking the situation way too seriously. Star was unarmed and from the distance she'd look harmless, if only those night black eyes wouldn't be saying 'I WILL EAT YOUR SOUL!'

Star started to pick teams. She always seemed to partner up a woman, a man, and a pokémon together on the same group. She said women were agile, men were strong, and pokémon were just plain necessary. "Okay, Fuego you're with Hoja and Shadow." I heard her call. Well, all the humans had already been picked off so the only ones left were… "Amber, you're with Nicole and Michael!" Damn!

I would've preferred going with Hoja and Fuego, but I couldn't even trust Michael yet. Sure, he wasn't bad, but he wasn't exactly my friend. Michael groaned before coming up to me, and then Nicole cheered and came up next to me. "We'll go look northwest." I said. Nicole nodded, but Michael seemed to disagree. "I say we go southeast. That's where the Scyther fled when they were defeated." He said. "Yeah, but I'm positive the Ilex Forest Shrine is northwest, and Red Knight would surely be at an important place." I argued. "The Scyther would return to their leader!" He argued back. "Well, Red Knight is not supposed to _have _any help! Nobody wants him, remember?" I barked. He gritted his teeth. I won. "You two, break it up. You sound like an old married couple. I agree with Amber. She's right, and I've been to the shrine before, in the past." Nicole said. I knew that by 'past' she meant the time when she was human.

"Alright, we shall meet up back here at midnight. If you run into trouble or get lost, send a signal into the sky and help will surely get to you. If you encounter Red Knight, fight him!" Calypso commanded. She counted down with her fingers and yelled "Okay, HEAD OUT!" And everyone went their separate ways.

I sat down instead of setting out. I needed time to process things and plan what I'd do next. Apparently Nicole had the same idea, because she sat down next to me. "We need to think about what to do now." I said. Michael folded his arms across his chest and scowled. "Uh, I can't believe I got stuck with two girls, of all people." He groaned. "Well, life's cruel, bud. Now sit down and help the ladies think, will ya?" Nicole said, faking a guy voice. I chuckled. Michael groaned and sat, looking straight into my eyes. His blue eyes were very pretty, and they were filled with excitement and annoyance.

"If we encounter this Red Knight guy," Nicole started. "How do we fight him off?" She asked. "Well, I've read that he is a Scizor, so obviously you have the type advantage." Michael said, never looking away from me. If I remembered correctly, Scizor was part Steel type, and part Bug type, both being weak to fire. Yeah, I had a big advantage there. I wondered if one Flamethrower was all it would take to beat him.

"Yeah, but I don't think he'll be easy to beat…" Nicole added. "Hey, we don't even know if we'll run into that guy! There's a bunch of other people looking for him, too." I said. "Well, let's start the search." Michael said, standing up. I stood up and started to head northwest. I looked back to check if Michael and Nicole were following me, and they were, but silently.

The forest was dark in spite of the midday sun. It was now that I realized I'd slept through the entire night after Xepher knocked me out with his hypnotic power. It was a good thing we had until midnight, because I had no idea of what to do. I just had a weird feeling; I felt the need to see the Ilex Forest Shrine. I'd lied when I said I was sure about Red Knight being near the shrine, I just wanted to get to it. There was probably a chance for me to get answers.

The road was becoming narrow, and soon we were jumping over tree roots. I tripped maybe twice, Nicole laughed at me, then I laughed at her when she tripped and got her face full of mud. But the laughs were limited. There was an eerie atmosphere. The trees only seemed to get bigger and bigger, and I smaller and smaller.

The sound of Nicole and Michael and the soft cries of pokémon were the only comfort I had. Nicole told some cheesy jokes and Michael would tell us a funny story once in a while. He told us about one time, Xepher was teaching him about the 'hypnotic wave' and accidentally aimed it at himself. Long story short, when he finally woke up, he'd grown a full beard and mustache. And Foolish had photographic evidence.

"Want to hear a joke?" Nicole asked. "Sure, go ahead." I said. She giggled and breathed deeply. "Once upon a time there was this Starly named Joke. He is hit by a jet on his way to the market and the Joke is over." Then Nicole burst out laughing. I didn't think it was hilarious, but her laughter was contagious, so I started to laugh, too. Michael chuckled. "Alright, I have another one. Once upon a time there was a Ditto named Glue. One day he fell of a cliff, and got glued." She said. And the bad jokes went on for a while.

Suddenly I heard my tummy growl. I groaned. "We should stop for lunch." Michael said. Thank you, Captain Obvious. "But we didn't bring lunch! We're going to starve out here!" Nicole complained. Her tummy growled, and Michael's followed. Then we sat down, my tired muscles throwing a party. "I'll look for food. You guys stay here." I said. I wouldn't trust Nicole with food. No way. I'd get it myself. Michael nodded.

I got up and dove into a random bush. I entered a great maze of leaves and thorns, but I tried my best to avoid those. I folded my tails so they wouldn't get caught in vines. Thorns poked me in my butt and face, angering me. Finally, I decided the bushes were on a suicide mission, so I opened my mouth and let out a Dark Pulse that ripped through them and gave me a clear path.

I entered a part of the forest where sunshine penetrated through the canopies of the trees. The grass was tall and the tree roots were tangled with flowers. The air was warm, and for a minute I thought on the possibility that I'd left the Ilex Forest and entered another one. "Hoo! Hoo! Hey, up here!" I heard a kid's voice say. I turned around toward the source, and in a little hole in a tree was a Hoothoot. It tilted its head around, studying my face. "You're pretty! What's your secret?" She asked. I felt flattered. "Uh, I…I just eat my vegetables." I said. Anything to get kids to eat their vegetables. "My mom says I should…" She muttered. I looked around, but I couldn't see another pokémon around. The kid was alone. "Kid, where's your mother?" I asked.

"She went out to get lunch, but she's not back yet." She said. I scowled. "How long has it been since she left?" I asked. Hoothoot tilted her head sadly. Hoothoot were very good measuring time. "About two hours ago. Momma never takes so long. I think she got in trouble…" She said worriedly. "Do you have brothers or sisters?" I asked. She couldn't be left alone. "Well, sort of. They haven't hatched yet." She moved away just a little, and deeper into the hole I saw three small eggs. They were brown with red and black spots all over. "Stay here, kid. I'm going to find your mother. Oh, and if a Skitty or Riolu come by asking for me, tell them lunch will have to wait." I ordered. Hoothoot nodded and sealed the hole with a curtain.

It wasn't in the schedule, but there was someone in need. As a pokémon trainer, my job had been to capture, train, and help pokémon. Just because I had a different body now didn't mean I couldn't continue to help them. Nicole and Michael would wonder where I'd gone, but they'd have to wait. That Hoothoot's mother was missing, and I wanted to find her. A kid alone could be easily captured by a predator. Especially the eggs.

I went north first. The air was still pleasant and I saw a lot of non-predator bug pokémon like Caterpie climbing trees or walking around. They had homes in trees and in the ground. Eventually I came to a dead end. A huge boulder covering the entrance to some cave wouldn't let me go further. But the boulder seemed to have been there for a long time because it was already being covered in moss. I came back the same way I'd gone until I reached the clearing again. I went south next. That part was illuminated better, and I realized it was because it was inhabited by Illumise and Volbeat. There weren't a lot of them, but the Volbeat lit the way. I asked the Illumise (since I'd heard they were much friendlier) if they'd seen a Hoothoot or Noctowl by. They said no, and I turned around.

I'd entered the area from the west, so the only way left was east. I ran along that path hoping I would find her. As soon as I entered I knew it was a bad place. The limbs of the trees were covered in webs, Spinarak webs. The light had dimmed and I feared of being watched. Every once in a while I'd look to my sides; just to make sure those Spinarak weren't planning anything. As a human I'd only feared them randomly landing on my hair. As a pokémon, I feared getting stuck to one of their webs. I'd heard they were sticky as glue and very hard to break free from. "Help! Someone, please help me!" I heard the urgent call. It had to be Hoothoot's mother. The Spinarak gave me odd looks as I ran toward the voice, evading webs and thorns.

"Uh! Help! I can't break free…" I stepped through a bush and arrived. There was a web that expanded from one tree to another, much too big for it to be a Spinarak's. Entangled in the center was a Noctowl, desperately flailing to break free. "Help! You there, please! I have children waiting for me!" She begged when she saw me. I sighed and smiled. "Relax, ma'am. The more you flail, the worse it'll get. Stay perfectly still." I demanded. Noctowl inhaled deeply and relaxed. The fire in the pit of my stomach rose to my throat and I let out Flamethrower at the edges of the web. Just like I thought, it fell apart from the trees, but Noctowl was still tangled in it. "Oh, it's so sticky! Please, help me before he comes back!" Noctowl begged. I started to rip through the web with my teeth. "He? Who are you talking about?" I asked, nervous. "The Scyther! He came and killed the Ariados that made this web. He took them somewhere else to eat them, then he said he'd be back to have me for dessert!" She explained. The horror! The Scyther was out of control.

I broke the remaining silk and freed Noctowl. She hugged me tightly. "Oh, bless you!" She said happily. "Hey! What happened to my dessert?" I snapped my head up. To my mayor dislike, a Scyther was standing over us. "You let my dessert get out!" As he spoke, I could see his blood-stained fangs. He scowled and bared his scythes at me. "I remember you! You're that Vulpix who killed my buddy Ronny! You're going to pay for that!" He bellowed. Noctowl shivered. I gritted my teeth and crouched.

Noctowl straightened herself up. She flapped her wings and took into the air. Scyther lunged at me angrily, but Noctowl picked me up with her talons and lifted me up, making the Scyther knock his head into a tree. He groaned and turned to glare at me. "Can you use a Flame Wheel attack?" Noctowl questioned. I shook my head. "Do you know how?" It was a stupid question, but I hoped she could answer. "Uh…just try using Flamethrower as you spin in the air when I launch you. Ready?" She asked as she flew a little higher. Fire ignited in my belly before I replied. "Yeah, throw me!"

Noctowl then did a dive and threw me at Scyther. He saw the opening and bared his scythes straight at me, hoping he'd stab me when I came close. I started doing back-flips in the air and released Flamethrower, which spun with me. Soon, I became a fiery meteor. The world was spinning, and I didn't know what was happening until I crashed into Scyther, pretty hard.

I think I even snapped a tree in half. Finally the flames dispersed, and I found myself standing on top of the Scyther's chest. I looked back and saw that I indeed had broken a tree in half with my attack. I glared at the Scyther beneath me, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. I focused my energy into my mouth and concentrated, forming Energy Ball. "P-please d-don't k-kill me! P-please! I'll be good, I p-promise!" He sobbed. Noctowl landed beside me and put a wing on my back. I looked at her and she shook her head in disapproval.

I sighed and recovered the energy into my body. The Energy Ball was gone. I was about to get off of him until I remembered something. I did a trick Fuego taught me. I conveyed the fire in my stomach to my head instead of my mouth and my eyes became red. Reflected in Scyther's terrified eyes I saw fire behind mine, literally. He shivered. "You work for Red Knight, don't you!" I barked. "N-no! I'm n-not supposed t-to say anything!" He said. He blew his own cover. I growled. "I want the truth! Where is he?" I bellowed. He gasped in terror and shut his eyes. "O-okay! I used to work for that Scizor. But yesterday he wanted to do something stupid, so my pack abandoned him! We were hungry so we went looking for food, but after my buddy was killed I had to feed alone. Red Knight was headed toward the Ilex Forest Shrine! That's all I know, I swear! Please, let me go!" He sobbed.

I put out the fire and smiled warmly. "Very well, you may go. But if you run into Red Knight, tell him to be ready." I warned. I hopped off of him and as soon as I did he struggled to get up. He staggered as he flapped his wings and gently took off, flying through the canopies and far away from the forest.

"Thank you for your help, um…darling, _hoo_ are you?" Noctowl asked. I turned to look at her. "Oh, I'm Amber. And, you're welcome. It only seemed like the right thing to do. After all, I couldn't leave that Hoothoot without her mother." I stated. Noctowl let out a 'Hoo!' in shock. "Oh, how nice. My baby!" Noctowl chirped in joy as we arrived at the clearing. She flew away from my side and poked her head inside the hole in the tree. "Momma, you came back!" Hoothoot cried.

"Thank you, stranger! Oh, and I'll eat my vegetables, so I can be pretty, too!" Hoothoot said. I waved my tails around as a goodbye. "That's not a stranger, dear. Her name is Amber. Darling, come here, let me give you something!" Noctowl called. She dug around her home and pulled out a paper bag. She threw it at me and I caught it with my mouth. "That's some lunch, honey. Enjoy!" Noctowl said before sealing her home.

I headed back the way I'd come; west. I saw the bushes I'd destroyed earlier and knew I would be joining my group soon. Once again, the light dimmed and the air chilled as I returned to the area.

"Where were you? I thought you were killed!" Nicole shouted hysterically. I opened my mouth and the contents of the bag spilled on the floor. There were four apples and one Oran berry. "I had to wait in line." I joked. Michael picked up an apple and raised an eyebrow at me.

We sat down and began to eat our apples. I saved the Oran berry and the fourth apple so we could share them later. I told them everything that had happened, but I excluded the part about setting my eyes on fire. I could use that as a weapon against them when necessary. "So, Red Knight will indeed be at the shrine. I guess your assumption was accurate." Michael said. "Right. Apparently, the Scyther pack abandoned him because he wants to do something with the shrine. Whatever it is, it can't be good." I said. Nicole reached for the spare apple, but I swatted her paw away.

I cut the apple in three halves and gave two halves to Michael and Nicole. "I can't believe it. We send you out for food, and you come back with valuable information." Michael said. "Wait, but how'd you get the Scyther to spill it? You're not terrifying at all." Nicole said as she swallowed her piece. I chuckled. "I have my ways." I said as I ate my piece. "Well, now we know where to go." Michael said. I pulled out the Oran berry and split it in three. I ate my piece, and immediately I felt restored.

After we finished I burned the paper bag and we continued on our path. Michael led the group this time, and I entertained myself watching his tail go left and right as he walked. I noticed the wound on his tail. There was a massive bite mark on it, still looking fresh. Still, he seemed to be unbothered by it. Yes, just like the gash on my chest had stopped burning. All I felt was a very dull ache. I wondered what kind of medicine the Azaleans used, because they'd even healed Nicole's broken rib cage in the blink of an eye.

We heard a very loud screeching sound from far away. It sounded like nails on chalkboard. We looked up in shock and I lowered my ears, trying to block out the horrible sound. "Uh, what's that horrible sound?" Nicole protested. Then I saw a red flicker in the sky, which exploded after it'd gone high enough. Someone had shot three flares, calling for help.

They came from the direction we were heading; northwest. "It looks like someone ran into trouble, they're asking for reinforcements!" Michael said. "Let's go!" I commanded as I ran forward. Michael and Nicole followed right behind me, sweat pouring down their faces. I saw as I raced through the forest how big the trees really were. All about them being insanely huge had been all in my head. I was on autopilot, evading any obstacle on the floor and ignoring my surroundings.

The Ilex Forest Shrine could be in danger. And someone was asking for help. If they'd come across Red Knight, they weren't doing very well. I needed to know what he was up to. I needed to know the rest of the inscription on the shrine. I needed _answers_. It could lead to a hint of why I'd been reborn. Why had I had I been chosen for rebirth? _Who_ chose me? It all rested there, in my human memory. But those important memories were locked somewhere in my mind, and I could not remember. Ilex Forest had triggered one memory, and it'd come to me in a dream. So if I actually found the shrine, maybe I'd be able to remember.

Out of all memories, the last thing I wanted to remember was…the shadow. Yes, when I least wanted to see it, it appeared, racing beside me, running along the trees. It was _the _shadow that had followed me when I'd first arrived in the Ilex Forest. This time it looked different. Instead of humanoid, it had a four-legged shape. It had a familiar shape. I pondered it until I realized it took the form of _me. _A four-legged silhouette with six curly tails, perked ears and curly hair on its head. It was the shape of a Vulpix. But it couldn't be something else. I was sure it was the same one.

My breathing turned into panting. Sweat poured down my face. My heartbeats were becoming more rapid than they should when running. I kept my gaze on _it _as I ran, studying it. But all I saw was blackness. No face. No color. It made no sound. But it seemed to notice my stare, because it turned its head to face me. But it had no _face_! My eyes widened and my breath caught in my throat as it suddenly flashed me a wicked smile with pearly white teeth from a mouth that was invisible. I could've sworn it even winked at me, even if it had no eyes, before it dissolved into black matter. The cloud of darkness raced toward me and, before I could react, went right inside me through my neck.

I felt no different, except that I was horrified. But then I felt something in my chest, a strong tug, like something being pulled together. I winced but kept running, and soon I realized the brown bandages that had once covered my chest fell apart and were left behind in the ground. I could not understand. I hoped the shadow had just gone through me and left, but something told me I was wrong.

'_You're on the right path…You're on the right path…the right path…' _A voice said in my head. It was hollow, and so ancient I couldn't tell if it was male or female. But it had been the shadow. And now it was in my head, speaking to me, driving me mad. _'Just a little further…a little further…there! You destiny awaits...' _It said as I saw light at the end of the path. It was a blinding white light, impossibly sunlight. I gulped down my fear and forced the voice to quiet. "The shrine! I see it!" I felt it! I could see it clearly in my mind. I could feel the shrine near, so close I would soon see it.

We entered the clearing, and the light died down. I realized that what I'd thought was sunlight, had been a great discharge of electricity. Electric sparks lingered in the air and the grass, crackling with electricity. It had been an electric attack gone awry. I was much too distracted to notice the red blur that dashed by me toward the center of the clearing. I fixed my eyes on the scene, and all emotion drained from me, all except for anger. Fire literally boiled inside of me.

I forgot Nicole and Michael were on either side of me, their bodies frozen in a trance. Right there in the center, struggling heavily to form a Shadow Ball, was Morty, bruised and beaten. He floated graceless, his eyes darting everywhere without rest. He was watching out for something, protecting the pokémon beneath him. It was Mistress Jirachi, unconscious and defeated. She constantly growled in her sleep, as if trying to force herself into consciousness without success.

But what'd made me angry was that I knew what he was looking out for. As his eyes landed on me, I roared my warning, but he didn't have the time he needed to act. The red blur stood behind him, and I realized he was a Scizor; Red Knight. With one mighty swing of his pincer, the Shadow Ball attack dissolved into dust, and Morty emitted a horrible, eerie and sinister chant as he crashed beside Star. The noise was so horrible I tried to block it out completely. _'Listen to my voice only or you'll be doomed…listen to me…focus on me…' _I focused on that ancient voice in my head and went momentarily deaf.

"Mistress Jirachi! My mistress!" Nicole's screaming brought me back to reality. She begged Jirachi to stand up, but Star was too beaten to do so. Red Knight was gone. He wasn't where he used to be. He was hiding somewhere, ready to attack any of us at any moment. And of course, that target had to be me. My instincts took over and, without thought, I swiftly turned around and released the powerful fire that had been burning inside me.

Red Knight was hit dead on, doused in flames. His surprise attack failed and he screeched in pain. Michael followed my example and fired his own attack. His Hidden Power hit Red Knight straight in his leg and he lost his balance, kneeling on the ground. Nicole shot a Vacuum Wave at Red Knight, and he crashed on the ground.

"Did we get him?" Nicole panted. It couldn't have been that easy. And of course, it wasn't. The beaten body dissolved into smoke and revealed nothing but a piece of wood. We all gasped in unison. "That bastard used Substitute!" I barked.

"Of course, kids. You didn't really think you could beat me so easily, did you?" I turned around viciously. There he was, sitting casually on a tree branch with his leg dangling in the air. Though his voice sounded smug, there was a deep scowl on his face, his once black eyes like burnt charcoal. His wings were damaged, torn up and old, clearly incapable of flight. His armor body was scratched, dusty and at some parts, rusted. He was the definition of the word _age_. "I am Red Knight; now go back to where you came from!" He said with his rusty voice. He sharpened his pincers, one against the other. Because of his natural color, at first I hadn't noticed they were bloodstained.

Michael was about to speak, but my anger controlled my actions; I shot another Flamethrower at him. In his face there was no change as he swiftly flapped his wings and leaped off the branch just in time to evade my deadly flames. The tree caught on fire, and the flames slowly started to consume the leaves. Michael gritted his teeth and shot me a glare. "Are you crazy?" He barked. _'Don't listen to him.' _The voice in my head said. _'Trust your instincts. Embrace the beast within you.' _

"Where is the Ilex Shrine?" I shouted at Red Knight. He was nowhere in sight, but I could easily be guided by his rusty stench. If I was correct, he was hiding behind a tree somewhere to my left. "There is no shrine, ignorant Vulpix. There hasn't been for centuries!" He said.

'_Don't let him fool you. He's lying.' _The voice in my head said. Michael stepped forward and readied a Hidden Power. "Come out of hiding, Red Knight. We're going to take you down, for good!" He shouted. Before he could shoot his attack, I jumped in front of Michael and stopped him from doing something stupid. "No, don't shoot. It's exactly what he wants you to do. Look, I was a pokémon trainer for eight years, I know what to do!" I stated. He looked at me wide-eyed and canceled his Hidden Power. The blue bubbles dissolved into dust.

"Nicole, get Morty and Mistress Jirachi out of harm's way. Michael, look out for Red Knight while I power up." I commanded. They both nodded in agreement. Nicole quickly went over to the two unconscious bodies. Michael surveyed the area. I then ran, and jumped into the spreading fire.

Smoke filled my lungs as I inhaled deeply. This act would've killed a human or any other pokémon faster than you could imagine. The flames and smoke fueled me. Recharged, I absorbed the fire into my mouth to unleash a great Flamethrower. However, I had not planned on being taken by surprise. Red Knight picked me up between his pincers and squeezed the air out of me, including the fire. It fell on the floor and spread across the grass, creating a long wall of fire. "First those two, and now I have more trash to dispose of. Why do they keep coming after me? I haven't done anything!" We locked eyes. His expression was telling me the truth, but the voice inside me said otherwise. '_He has __**it**__…you must take __**it **__back…' _It said. 'But what the heck is _it_? What are you taking about?' I shouted in my mind. But the voice didn't respond. "What do you want with the shrine?" I asked. Red Knight squeezed me tighter, and I had to gasp for air. "Nothing. I am not after the shrine, foolish pokémon. I am only doing what I must do." He said. Then he flapped his wings and took off into the air. It surprised me he could even fly with his damaged wings. 

He carried me along with him into the air. I saw as the forest got smaller and smaller, and the fire looked like red string. I started to panic; if he let me fall, I'd become nothing but pudding on the floor, the kind of pudding nobody wants to eat. "What are you doing?" I shouted. "I'm going to make your death quick and painless, just because I'm not in the mood today. Don't worry; I'll make sure your friends don't miss out on the fun." He said and with a soft mumble, he let go of me.

What can I say? When you're falling down from the sky at 50mph toward an ignited forest, you think it's all over. Well, it wasn't different for me. Both of my lives flashed before my eyes, and I realized I hadn't managed to accomplish anything to make the world better. My thoughts turned bitter. If I was going to die, I'd take that Scizor down with me. I turned around in mid-air so I could see Red Knight's far away form. I fired my goodbye in the form of a Flamethrower. "AH!" He screamed as he received the blast.

I continued to spew flames as I awaited my demise. I closed my eyes and let the flames die down. I didn't know how far I was from the ground anymore; I just hoped I could die quick. I could let Michael and Nicole take care of Red Knight. They could take him down and save the Chosen One, whoever it was. Maybe I could be reborn a second time. Could I? Would I? Probably not, seeing as this life had been so short.

Suddenly I stopped falling. The wind wasn't pushing me down anymore. I hesitated to open my eyes. Little by little, I opened my eyelids to peak at the ground. But it was incomprehensible. I hovered above the forest, just a little higher than the canopies. "What the Hell…" I muttered. As I turned my head upwards I saw the face of who held me, Noctowl. "All you had to do was call." She said simply. My heart filled with relief and joy at the sight of the pokémon I had saved not long ago. "Thank you, Noctowl. But, why did you come?" I inquired. "Just flying by when I saw you fall. I wanted to return the favor. Now, we are even." She said as she set me down on a tree branch. "Kick Red Knight's behind for me, darling!" Noctowl shouted as she took off one last time.

As she flew away I saw that red blur fall pass her, and she helped me twice as she slashed the air with Air Slash right at Red Knight, increasing the speed of his fall. I silently thanked Noctowl.

"Did you see her fall?" Nicole's frantic voice made me turn my head downward. "I think she's already dead, Nicole. All we can do now is making sure we get payback at Red Knight." Michael said, disbelief hanging in his voice. Nicole nodded harshly, a deep scowl on her usually jolly face. It surprised me to see her reaction to such news. At first I thought she'd dismiss sorrow, but seeing her face harden proved me wrong.

I pondered on what to do. I could get to Red Knight where he landed, and we could fight one-on-one, or I could reunite with Michael and Nicole and risk giving Red Knight time to recover from his fall. With the first option, chances of winning were slim. With the second option, I would have support, but I'd risk my friends. For once, I hoped the little voice would tell me what to do. It did. _'What's taking you so long, Amber? You don't want Nicole to get hurt. Don't give Red Knight time to escape, because it is what he will be attempting! You have a mission, complete it by yourself…' _The ancient voice in my head said. I nodded in agreement and swiftly leaped from branch to branch, rapidly moving farther away from my friends.

"Why do these things happen to me…?" He complained as he struggled to get up. Red Knight groaned and protested. His fall had created a hole in the ground, from which he'd have to climb out of. "Even strained my wing…I'll be feeling that one tomorrow…" He coughed as he climbed out of the pit. I kept my gaze focused on him. From a tree branch, I watched, camouflaged by the leaves. "Bah, the shrine! It will catch fire…! Must…get back…" Red Knight said to himself angrily as he stretched his muscles.

"You're not going anywhere." I said as I leaped off the tree, landing gracefully on the ground and growling at Red Knight. "Pest, leave me be. If the shrine is destroyed, the forest will be in trouble." He growled. "Then let's fight. Whoever wins saves the shrine. Like the sound of that?" I offered. He closed his eyes and growled lowly.

Luckily, I had a good eye; because I saw his wings turn a faint silvery color. They twinkled slightly, and Red Knight still had not directed his gaze to me. I used my tails to propel myself against the ground and give a great leap into the air. I evaded the Silver Wind attack by an inch.

Red Knight lunged after me as I landed. He grabbed my tail and pinched tightly. Remote pain coursed through my body, but so dull I dismissed it. My angle seemed perfect, so I bit down on Red Knight's neck. Heat transmitted to my fangs and I felt his metal armor melt. He bellowed in pain and threw me away with tremendous force. I crashed into a tree; luckily, I only struck my behind.

I didn't waste any time. The energy focused into my mouth and I fired an Energy Ball at Red Knight. Right now, I couldn't afford a Flamethrower. My fire power had weakened because of the excess use of that attack. In me I knew I could fire maybe just one more, so I was saving it for the right moment. I wanted to find a way to go back to the blazing fire to recharge energy, but I feared it was far away. I could manage Ember, though, so I stood up and lunged at the groaning Scizor.

He saw me and stopped rubbing his neck. He sidestepped and jabbed me in the back with Knock Off. I received the blow willingly, knowing I'd have an opening. Once I was pinned, I used my best efforts to turn to face him, and fire Ember right in his face.

It was amazing how a simple Ember could do so much damage. He became furious and took to the air. As I readied Dark Pulse, Michael stepped into the clearing. He was followed by Nicole. His eyes were wide as my Dark Pulse collided with Red Knight's Flash Cannon, creating an explosion that sent me back. I breathed in the smoke from said explosion, but I was surprised when Red Knight punctured through the cloud of smoke with both his pincers glowing silver and struck me at blinding speed. A Bullet Punch, I guessed.

"Ah!" I screeched. I was pinned against a tree, Red Knight's pincers at my throat. "You just won't give up, will you? I'm going to show you what happens to those who resist, like that troublesome Mismagius who came asking for the Plate. No one shall have it, as long as I stand!" He barked. Plate? What was he talking about; I'd never known about any Plate…

He winded up his free arm and opened his pincer. Red, orange, and yellow energy started forming inside of it, and I recognized it as a Hyper Beam, one of the deadly attacks known to pokémon. "Nicole…Michael…" I mouthed.

I shut my eyes.

His grip vanished. I slid on to the ground unharmed. As I opened my eyes I saw the Hyper Beam being fired, but as Red Knight was flung across the clearing, the attack aimed at the air with no target. Michael picked up speed and caught up to him, mimicking Red Knight's earlier attack Bullet Punch. He struck Red Knight right in the head, and Nicole followed his attack with a Water Pulse. The blue sphere splashed against him powerfully, and Red Knight crashed against a tree on the opposite side of the field.

Red Knight refused to loose. He stood up and slashed against them, repeating Fury Cutter as much as possible. Blood trickled from Nicole's scratched cheek. Michael jabbed Red Knight with multiple Brick Breaks.

I breathed deeply and cleared my head for a second. Renewed, I stood up. I ran toward them, and as I did, fire ignited in my stomach: the flame I'd been saving for this precise moment. Nicole saw my approach and bit down on Red Knight's leg, ensuring he wouldn't escape. Michael followed her plan, using Crunch on Red Knight's arm. He protested, cussed, and trashed around as I came closer.

Finally with my target clear, I released the grand flames from my mouth. He froze on the spot as they reflected in his eyes. Michael and Nicole jumped away just in time to evade. Soon, Red Knight became engulfed in flames. He screamed and begged for them to be put out, but we let him burn for a few seconds.

Seeing it was enough, Nicole doused the flames with Water Pulse, and Red Knight gave up. His burnt body emitted smoke. He coughed and knelt in pain. We made a triangular formation around him, making sure he wouldn't get away. "It's over." I said. He raised his head, panting; he looked me in the eye, and said: "It is…most certainly…not…"

Then he swiftly but clumsily took off into the air. His wings flapped slowly, but the wind kept him in midair. We gasped as he took off in the direction of the shrine. "After him!" Michael yelled. Then the three of us climbed up the trees, and leaped branch from branch in pursuit of Red Knight.

He landed ungracefully in our original battlefield. He stumbled and groaned as he tried to walk straight. I hooked my tails around the branch on which I stood and went completely silent, as Michael stood watching for an opportunity. We were disguised by the leaves, unseen. Nicole was staring at me, but I couldn't tell what she was feeling. "Nicole," I whispered. "I know you thought I was dead. I should've told you, but the odds were I'd loose Red Knight if I did…" I explained very lowly. Nicole sighed and looked down, then nodded. "I understand. You know, I was very furious. I wanted to get payback at Red Knight for what he did to you, and while I still do, I'm glad you're okay." She whispered back with a grin. Nicole was a very good friend, always forgiving. I didn't know how Michael felt when he thought I was killed. Probably, just sad. But why would his reaction matter to me? Why did it?

Michael signaled us with his paw. We looked down and saw Red Knight approach a large oak tree. In front of it was a Gracidea flower, unscathed by the fire that I'd caused. The fire had been put out, however, and I guessed it had been the forest pokémon who stopped it. He tiredly put his pincer against the wood, and the oak tree shone with white light for an instant. The sight was mesmerizing. I watched as the light dimmed, and a plaque appeared where Red Knight touched. A hole formed just bellow the plaque, a hollow space that seemed to have no end, even though it was carved into the tree.

"They will not get it…they will not get it…" Red Knight repeated, panting, as he stepped back from the tree. "Now is our chance to strike. He won't hold out much longer, so let's take him down for good." Michael commanded. We all nodded and I swung from the branch, leaping into the air and landing on the grass. We made a semi-circular formation around Red Knight. He gasped and glared at us. "You again! Leave me, pests!" He coughed roughly.

I didn't want more explanations. I jumped toward him with a Faint Attack, purple energy around me. I crashed into Red Knight faster then I could register and we fell, me landing on top of him. "You…have…beaten me…" He coughed weakly. His face was charred and his eyes were shut tight. Then he screamed, agonized. But the pain behind that scream wasn't caused by me, I just knew it. It was something else. And I noticed it because of dark energy that ran like electricity across his body. The sparks were blue, pink, and black. His screams turned into moans of pain, and I stepped off of him.

It was horrible to watch someone in this much pain. Red Knight was evil, but he still didn't deserve what he was receiving. I wished for a way to just make it stop. Red Knight lied on the ground for several seconds, the dark sparks still coursing his body, and then he started to sob weakly. "I just want to die…" He sobbed.

"Wait, remember Morty's chant?" Nicole asked me suddenly. "Yeah, why?" I answered. Morty's chant had been horrifying, so I'd tuned it out. "That was Perish Song, I'm sure of it. And Red Knight's Perish Count just fell to zero." Michael said. That explained the dark energy. Perish Count was a move that would cause fainting to any pokémon who heard it after a certain amount of time. I had avoided listening to the song, so it had no effect on me. It was incredible how the attack was taking effect now.

"I need to…die…" Red Knight sobbed. He turned his head to look at me. "If only I were mortal like you…" He mouthed. I opened my mouth to say something, but I didn't know what. "We will take you back to Azalea Village to Calypso, there your injuries will be treated and you won't suffer anymore." Michael said. Red Knight shook his head. "Young Vulpix…what is your name…?" He asked me. "My name is Amber." I replied.

"Come here, I have a…favor to ask of you." He said and coughed again. I approached him unwarily. He struggled to raise a pincer and point at the large oak tree. "It is what you were looking for. The…Ilex Forest Shrine…" He stated weakly. I looked at the oak tree, unable to fathom this discovery. Then I realized the plaque was the same as the one I remembered. "It was my job…to protect the treasure I burnt down Azalea for…" He said. The curse line rang in my head. '_Forced to protect the treasure you longed.' _

Red Knight would've continued talking to me, but just then a woman swiftly leaped from the trees and landed in the scene, right in front of us. Nicole gasped. Michael bowed in respect. I was annoyed that Calypso had picked this moment to appear. She had a scowl present on her face, her eyes filled with disgust as she looked down at Red Knight.

"You have been finally defeated, old _buddy_. Now you are where you belong, in the dirt." Calypso spat coldly. "Calypso…you know I've always been in the dirt." Red Knight chuckled. Calypso looked at me harshly. "Well done catching him. Amber, Michael, Nicole, you have done far better than I expected." Calypso said. "Thank you, Lady Calypso." Michael said politely.

"Amber," Red Knight whispered. I lowered my head to hear what he had to say. "You are the first to defeat me in millennia. You deserve something…special, something…even Calypso may not have." He said. I was confused, but I would accept whatever he had to give me. "I shall recite the ancient words. When I finish…step in front of the shrine…immediately. Ready?" He asked. I looked back at Calypso, and saw her conversing with Michael and Nicole about the battle. I looked back at Red Knight and nodded. He closed his eyes, and upon reopening them, his black eyes were hollowed totally neon green. The air around him seemed to chill.

"_Sit Arceus antiquus ordo reparari. Iam non erit protector tuus sum et offer defecit tu novam potentiam__. Veni, venias plurima fortitudo nova ad possessorem quem elegit vivificantem!"_*****Red Knight recited in another language, which I was sure wasn't Spanish. Just as he had instructed me, I jumped in front of the shrine.

A greenish light emitted from the large oak tree and engulfed me. I dared not to shut my eyes. It glowed, flashed, and tried to blind me. Finally, the green light vanished.

I couldn't believe my eyes. It floated right in front of me mistically, making sounds of gentle bell chimes. I stared at it in awe. It had a rectangular shape, with a light green color, with Unknown text written on it, and with strange markings at its borders. I'd never thought I'd get to see a real one. It was a Plate. An Arceus Plate!

"Take it..." Red Knight whispered. "The Insect Plate! Oh, you have been keeping it from me all these years, how dare you?" Calypso shouted hysterically at Red Knight. "Forgive me, Calypso...What I did to your village was wrong...What I did to you was wrong...and I was wrong to follow the dark ways of Biomegas!" Red Knight sobbed. "Please, lift this curse! I beg of you! Forgive me, Lady Calypso! Every day of my life is a nightmare!" He begged.

I was mesmerized by the Plate, but against my will I turned around to see the conflict. Calypso crossed her arms and scoffed. "No. You chose your path! You did what you did, and you shall suffer for it, for all eternity!" She shouted angrily, turning her head away from him. Red Knight's eyes were filled with sorrow and pain. "Please..." He mouthed, coughing again. I realized then that I had been wrong all along. Red Knight was the good guy, doing what he was supposed to, defending such a priceless treasure. Calypso was bitter and unforgiving.

Even though I had actually seen the event of Red Knight fight Calypso in a dream, I felt anger at Calypso. But I dared not speak a word, for it was a matter the two rivals had to solve alone. "Calypso! What are you saying?" That voice made me jump with joy. The voice of Morty. I looked around and saw him materialize from the shadows. He smiled gently at me, and after I returned the smile he turned to Calypso. "He is literally begging you for forgiveness. Why must you let him suffer further?" Morty asked sternly. Calypso bit her lip. "You don't understand...he killed me...turned me into _that_." She said, pointing disgustingly at the Gracidea that was in front of the oak tree. A petal fell off, and it was carried away in the breeze, as if the flower had been hurt.

"Calypso, please...I'm sorry..." Red Knight said. "Are you really telling me you won't forgive him, just because of something that happened so many years ago?" Morty inquired. Calypso bit her lip so hard it bled. Her eyes darted back and forth between me, Morty, Red Knight, Michael, and Nicole. Then she sighed after looking at her rival once more.

"I guess...I'm wrong this time. Red Knight, know that I forgive you. I forgive you for what you did to Azalea, for what you did to me. Your curse shall be lifted, because you have seen the light." Calypso said seriously. Red Knight's eyes filled with joy. "Yes...I have abandoned the dark path, and I see the light..." He muttered.

Calypso knelt down and put a hand on his forehead. "Go toward the light. You may rest in peace, protector of Ilex." She said. "Thank you, Calypso..." Red Knight said. He turned his eyes, not his head, to me. "Amber, the Plate...is yours...protect it..." Those were his final words. Because then he smiled one last time and shut his eyes forever.

Morty nodded in approval, then he hung his head in total silence. The central red orb of his neck gained a white color on the inside. It looked like a ghost. "I'll guide him pass the portal of Heaven, it's my job, after all." Morty said. Calypso stood up and looked at me. "Ghost pokemon are in charge of souls, now I remember." She muttered. "The Insect Plate awaits for its new protector. Red Knight wanted it to be you." She told me.

I gulped. I'd almost forgotten about the Plate. It was radiating a warm essence, inviting me to grab it. Michael put a paw on my head and looked into my eyes. "Make sure not to break it." He joked. I grinned and reached for it.

'_Behold...the Insect Plate! Well done, my child!' _The voice in my head cheered. As I made contact with the Plate a green light showered the entire area. I was momentarily blind, but when I managed to see, the Plate was no longer there.

Instead, there was something hanging from my neck. I looked down to see I now wore the Insect Plate as a pendant. It was reduced to look like simple jewelry, except for the great power that it eminated. How had this happened?

Calypso and Michael gasped, and Morty and I shared confused stares. Calypso had a grim look in her face. "¡_No puede ser! La Tabla se ha unido a ella..."_ Calypso growled in Spanish. Michael took a hold of the pendant, but he winced and immidiatly took his paw off it, as if it had burned him. _"Y no me deja tocarla_." Michael said while he rubbed his paw. "Hello? What is going on? Someone let me know!" I shouted.

"You must go see the Great Absol." Calypso said sternly. Morty's eyes turned sad. "Who is this 'Great Absol'?" I inquired. "The Great Absol is a prophet, a prophecy teller. He is very old and wise, and everything he says is accurate. You must go consult him about the Plate, and why it has chosen to stay with you." Calypso ordered. "Michael, you shall acompany her." She said. Michael nodded and Nicole jumped next to me. "I want to go, too!" She chirped. It felt good that she would come along, I didn't want to be alone with Michael.

"Morty, please, come with me..." I begged Morty. He smiled widely. "Of course I'll go with you!" He said. I could've danced of joy. Until Calypso shook her head. "No. You must guide Red Knight to Heaven, an help heal the wounded. Not to mention Mistress Jirachi wants you with her at all times, you are her best ally." Calypso demanded. Morty's smile disappeared. "I'm sorry..." He said, hanging his head. I felt bad for both of us. For Morty who always had to follow orders, and sorry for me, who couldn't be with the most important friend in the world.

"Lady Calypso!" A man came panting. "Ah...t-the General is here to inspect Azalea! If you are not present, they'll burn it down!" He said between pants. Calypso gritted her teeth. "Go tell that son of a bitch I'll be right there!" She demanded. The man bowed and ran away the same direction he came from. "You must go! If one of Biomegas's Generals discovers you wear the Plate, they'll rip you to shreds." Calypso warned. I shuddered.

"Exit the Ilex Forest and head to Ameithus City, from there go north until you reach Ecruteack City. There, you will find the prophet Absol. You might take weeks to reach it. But, hurry! GO!" Calypso commanded, angry voices echoing from far away.

"Come on, Amber." Michael urged. I met Morty's sorrowful eyes. "Love you..." I muttered as I walked pass him. I hung my head. "Love you, too, Amber..." He replied sadly. As we walked away from the clearing, I saw Calypso unstrap a knife from her thigh, yell: "_¡Guasabara!"_and run toward her village.

Great sorrow took over me. We walked away further. As the forest became deeper, I looked back one more time at the shrine and Morty, who I'd considered a father, and let one lone tear slide down my cheek.

**Wow, that was a long chapter. I spent around three weeks working on this xD I'd like to tell you that this story is my main priority in fanfiction, and I'll be paying more attention to this one than the others. For this reason, all of my other fics are under Hiatus until further notice. I really love this one! **

**1*: Scizor recites an old enchantement that is used to summon the power of the Plates. The language in which he speaks is Latin. If you wanna look it up, good, but if you don't, it won't matter anyway because it's not that important. However, if you want to know everything that is in another language, PM me with your doubts and I shall translate everything. Do not hesitate to ask. But, what they speak in spanish isn't very important, but the more you learn the better! :D **

**I really enjoyed writting this chapter. The action, mystery and emotions inspired me to keep writting and writting...Language is pretty strong here too, and this chapter reveals Amber's fightning style, which I enjoyed writing. Originally, I planed on revealing the rest of what was written on the shrine, but I settled for suspense. You need to rest your brain, after all. **

**One last thing, from the next chapter and forward, I will started switching between POVs. I will include Michael's and Nicole's often, but mostly Amber's. When a POV starts, you will see it like this: The Order of Arceus, Chapter Number, Chapter title, and bellow that will be **_**Michael **_**or **_**Nicole**_** depending on the POV. If it is Amber's, it won't say anything, unless it's not at the beggining, ok? Also Ameithus City is where Goldenrod City used to be. That's all I have to say. So, see you next time on chapter nine!**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN! **


	10. Iuncta Pectora

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Nine

Iuncta Pectora

_**Michael **_

I led Amber and Nicole through the Ilex Forest. I didn't like the whole idea of leaving my home and setting out to see the Great Absol, but they were direct orders from Lady Calypso.

When the sun set and the sky darkened, I decided we would camp out. Nicole went out to look for firewood while I looked for big leaves we could use as sheets. Amber sat back on her hind legs, hanging her head. Her beautiful amber eyes were filled with sadness and confusion, and I didn't like it. Since I had met this girl I had never seen her sad, a little angry, but not sad. It was as if the sun had turned off. She'd been like that since we left the shrine. If she wouldn't tell me, I'd find out in her dreams. But I couldn't tell her that. She'd get mad at me.

Nicole came back carrying firewood on her back. She complained about the weigh and set it down in a neat pile. Amber breathed out sparks of Ember, and our bonfire ignited. "Ever notice how the flames disappear when they go up high enough?" Amber asked suddenly. She was staring intently at the fire, as if lost in a dream. I nodded. "Maybe that'll happen to me. I'll just keep going and going, then suddenly die, like Red Knight." She said. So that's what had her like this.

I had felt pity when I'd watched Red Knight suffer, but I was actually thinking he deserved it. I was Azalean; his past actions were glued to my brain since birth. "_Es un pokémon muy malo,_" my mother used to tell me, which meant that Red Knight was a bad guy. "He must be brought to justice." She'd say. I wondered if Lady Calypso would inform my family back in Azalea of my departure. She tended to forget things.

Around midnight, Amber curled up into a ball and fell asleep. She snored softly, warmth radiating off of her. "G'night, Michael." Nicole yawned loudly and dramatically. "Sweet dreams." I replied. Of course, I would know her dreams. I could infiltrate dreams, but I required a little more experience if I wanted to do it on anyone's dreams. I couldn't enter the dreams of stronger or older pokémon.

Soon, I was the only one awake. The fire was starting to die down, claiming back the light it had given. I lied down and put my arms behind my head. I took a look at the glistering moon and fell asleep. And my dream began.

I stood atop a mighty palm tree towering above the beach. Over the horizon I could see the sun shinning brightly, but with the full moon right beside it, creating a weird twilight. The ocean shifted colors from green to blue to purple repeatedly. I hooked my paws around the leaves to keep from falling. This scenario meant only one thing. Somebody was weaving my dream. And that somebody always preferred this landscape. "Master Xepher," I called out. The icy breeze picked up and froze the leaves of the palm tree.

I slipped off the frozen solid leaves and before I reached the ground, a feathery bed appeared. I landed and after I stopped bouncing, I hopped off the bed. "Good evening, Michael." I heard Xepher's voice. The sea water spouted and spiraled around, turning multiple colors. The water created a human shape. Then the shape became Xepher. He just loved to be dramatic. "Don't you get tired of that same act every time?" I asked. "Actually, I'm thinking of a new introduction. It is amazing, what I can weave. And even though we are far away, I can still contact you." Xepher said. His sea green eyes were full of amazement.

"So…what happened after I left?" I asked him. He shrugged.

"A General from Biomegas came to inspect Azalea. When he saw our leader was absent, he was about to kill Lady Calypso's son as 'punishment'. Then Lady Calypso suddenly jumped in with a knife. Long story short, we had a bit of a problem." He explained.

"What about my parents?" I asked.

"They were told about your task. Your father sends you his best wishes. Oh, and your mother says there'll be cookies waiting for you when you come home." Xepher informed me. It was good to know that my family didn't have to worry about me. My mother usually stressed about the simplest things.

Xepher's expression turned serious. "Now, to important matters," He started. I nodded and turned my face serious. "As I can see in your memory, the Insect Plate has chosen Amber. This means only she can come in contact with it." Xepher said. I raised my paw and stared at my burnt skin. It didn't look too bad; it would heal soon. I couldn't believe how contact with the Insect Plate had caused this. "It repels whoever comes close," I said. "All Plates are said to do that." Xepher said. "It's a way of defense. Only a select few may touch them without getting hurt." He stated. "She's been acting strange since she left. She won't look me in the eye, or talk to neither of us. She's been acting depressive, and it's freaking me out." I said. Not even after we left the shrine had she looked me in the eye. She barely spoke a word. She'd been behind Nicole and me as we walked through the forest.

"It is to be expected. The Plate's power is so great, it is influencing her attitude." Xepher said, sulking. He was right. She'd changed. "I would not advice she takes it off, but if it gets too out of hand, try to remove it. I'm sure she could carry it in a bag or something." Xepher suggested.

The scenery started to falter. It must've meant one thing: that I would soon wake up. "Hum, I must go. I need to communicate with Nicole and Amber, too. Farewell, young Dream Weaver. And always remember, I will always be there for you, in your dreams." Xepher's image started to waver. Then he disintegrated into mist.

It was still dark when I woke up. Amber snored softly inside the fire, that's right; she was _inside _the bonfire, flames engulfing her. She didn't seem to mind, in fact, she seemed comfortable. Nichole was sleeping away from the fire, snoring loudly, and drool running down her chin. She began to slightly stir, her snoring becoming softer. Xepher was now in her dreams.

I stood up and stretched my muscles. Now that I was alone, I could take matters into my paws. I had no idea where Ameithus City was, only knew that it was up north. I needed a map, and I knew who could get me one.

In the Ilex Forest lived a sneaky pokémon known by the name Canella. I'd been told she could get anyone anything, for a cheap price. She was known to travel, and everyone knew about her. If I could find this Canella, I could get guidance toward Ameithus City.

I walked away from our campsite and dove into the dark woods. I unwrapped my scarf and looked into its pocket (yes, some scarves come with secret pockets) for money. I had twenty bronze coins, enough for anything necessary. The forest was dark and ominous, but I was used to it. I looked for a tree with branches firm enough to climb. I climbed a tree by grabbing other branches. When I reached a large branch, I grabbed it, but it was so old it fell apart in my paws.

The tree was too weak. I leaped into a neighbor tree and tried its branches. They were firm, so I hopped on one. Then I started to leap from branch to branch, from tree to tree, toward east, the direction I'd been told Canella would be.

Traveling through the trees was much safer than going by land. There were many traps set by desperate predator pokémon who couldn't catch anything during the day. Sneaky pokémon could ambush you at any moment. My father had been attacked by a Golbat once, but he was too strong to be hurt. He'd taught me how to travel with the trees, and it had been useful.

After a few minutes, I came to a clearing and ran out of trees. Carefully, I jumped off the branches and landed on the ground. I knew I'd reached an important area, because there were four lanterns on each side of the clearing. They were lightened with fire, not electricity. The dim lighting wasn't enough to brighten the whole clearing, so I didn't know what was ahead. I got an idea. I grabbed a lantern from its pole and walked forward. What I found wasn't expected; a large tent.

I was greeted by an Ekans at the entrance. "Greetingsssss, traveler. How may I asssssisssst you?" He asked, fully alert. "Uh, yes, do you know where a certain Canella is?" I asked, keeping my distance from the purple pokémon. You couldn't trust nocturnal pokémon, they were experts in treachery. "Why, yesssss! Thisss isss the Cinnamon Tent. Inside you shall meet her." He informed. He moved away from the entrance and let me pass, but before I was inside, he hissed: "Make sure you have coinssssss."

When I walked inside, I had to shut my eyes because of the strong light. I slowly started to open them so they could adjust. "What the Hell…" I muttered. I hadn't seen that light from outside. It should have, since this was a tent. When I adjusted, I fixed my eyes on a figure lying on a hammock. It didn't seem to notice me, so I looked around. I saw the source of the light was a big bonfire in the center of the tent, right behind a big desk.

A sign was painted over the desk, and it read THE CINNAMON TENT. I heard the hammock stop swinging, and I looked ahead. "Ooh, a last minute client…" A female voice said. She walked toward me, and I could identify the pokémon. It was a Lopunny with brown eyes. Her ears were cut shorter, tomboyish. Her fur was dirty and dusty and untrimmed. She was the exact opposite of what Lopunny were supposed to look like.

"Hello, my name is Canella." She introduced herself, sitting down on a chair behind the desk. She folded her arms and angled her eyebrows in a serious face, looking professional. "I'm Michael." I said. "You have a weird accent…do you speak Spanish, by any chance?" She asked. "Uh, yes. It's my mother tongue; I'm Azalean." I explained. What accent? Everyone else had an accent, not me! I guess that's what happens when you're bilingual. "Remarkable! Now sign here," She pulled out a folder filled with papers. She handed me a pen and pointed to the document. I signed my full name hesitantly. As soon as I was done, she took away the paper and the pen swiftly.

"I'm collecting the signatures of pokémon from all over the globe who speak different languages. This way, I will have my name in the Hall of Fame as the pokémon who traveled the world!" She stated enthusiastically. After putting it away, she looked at me seriously. "Very well, how may I help you?" She asked. I cleared my throat. "I am heading toward Ameithus City with my group but we don't know how to get there…" I was interrupted by Canella. "Ameithus City? Small world, that's my next destination as well! I need to get the signature of an Ameithan and set up my shop there. I have an idea. I know where it is, so maybe you and I could travel together." She offered.

Her offer was very tempting; I wouldn't have to spend my money. And we could get someone who knew the area. However, I wasn't so sure about trusting her. I needed to consult Nicole and Amber to see if it was okay with them. "What's the catch?" I asked, suspicious. Canella waved her fluffy hand. "No catch; just help me evade some thieves that want my merchandise. Every day, someone comes by to try and steal my things. I can't deal with them by myself, even with my buddy Ethan, I still can't handle it. Usually thieves come in groups. So, I'll take you to Ameithus, if you can help me get there safely. Deal?" She offered me her hand. I grinned and shook her hand with my paw. "Deal. We will set out in the morning, with my group." I said.

"Very well, just let me pack up and I'll join you and your team." She said. Then she put her hands to her mouth and whistled loudly. The Ekans burst into the tent. "Yessss, Canella?" He asked. "Ethan, we have to pack up! We're leaving." She ordered. "Of coursssse, like you command." He said and crawled outside. "That guy's Ethan?" I asked. "Yeah, but don't worry, Ethan is friendly and loyal. He wouldn't hurt a Caterpie, unless it was his lunch." Canella said. Yeah, I really didn't want to become friends with that Ethan guy anyway.

_**Nicole **_

"Just five more minutes, mom…" I grumbled sleepily as someone shook me. "Nicole, I'm not your mom, now wake up!" A voice yelled. I groggily sat up and glared at her. Amber saw my glare and made a face. "Michael brought a _friend_, and we need to _go_ now!" She shouted. "Yeah, yeah, stop yelling at me, I'm up, I'm up." I replied. The fire was out and the sun was up. The sky was clear, no cloud in sight. "Uh, what time is it?" I asked groggily. "Around 9:30am." Amber said. I hated waking up early.

Last night I'd had the weirdest dream ever. First I'd been dreaming about pokémon battles and sunshine, and then suddenly I'd been on some weird beach with glowing water and a sun next to the moon over the horizon. That Xepher guy spoke to me; he'd said he'd always keep us company, in our dreams. He also told me that my mother was fine.

When we'd left the Veilstone colony in a rush, I'd forgotten about her. The school had been destroyed, but she managed to escape. All teachers did. But after that we were separated, and I never saw her again. All that time I'd been worrying that she had died or that she was alive and missing me. Xepher said that he saw in someone else's dreams that she was fine. He said he would reach her dreams and let her know I was okay. My mother, Delia Katty, would be okay. It warmed my heart and gave me an inspiration for today.

I yawned loudly and shook off the drowsiness. I gazed beyond Amber and saw Michael, chatting with another pokémon. It was a Lopunny (wow, it was really tall compared to us), but its appearance made me question its gender. Its fur was dusty and dirty, its ear fluffs were cut short, as if it had short hair, and it had cinnamon colored eyes. Another pokémon was coiled around its neck, like a scarf. Only the pokémon was alive. It was an Ekans, who hissed and slipped its tongue out as it met my eyes.

"Er, who are those two?" I asked Amber. She sighed. "Canella and Ethan. When I woke up, they were already here. They put out my fire!" I saw annoyance in her amber eyes. You could literally feel the irritation radiating off her body, like fire boiling inside. The Insect Plate pendant glowed faintly green, and I realized it was manipulating her mood, like Xepher had said. "_The Plate's power is so great; it may affect her attitude. Be on the look out." _He'd told me in my dream.

"Amber, chill out, at least we're not alone…" I said. Yeah, I wasn't the best at being positive. "I guess you're right…" Amber muttered. But the heat didn't cease. I got the feeling there was more to it than getting her bonfire bed put out.

"Oh Nicole, you're up. I'd like to introduce you to Canella," Michael pointed to the Lopunny. "And her henchman, Ethan." He pointed to the Ekans wrapped around Canella's neck. He smiled, revealing his bracers (an Ekans with bracers?).

"Howdy. Nicole, is it? Pleased to meet you. I'll be traveling with you until Ameithus, because I know how to get there and you don't." Canella said, waving. She had a friendly smile, but that Ethan guy was looking at me like I was his lunch. Yeah, bud, get anywhere near me and it might be the other way around.

After chatting for a while, we set out again. The forest was getting on my nerves. All I saw was trees. No sunshine penetrated the immense canopies. As I walked between Amber and Michael, I was completely bored.

"When does this forest end?" I asked in exasperation. Ethan, still wrapped around the Lopunny's neck, hissed at me. "Jussssst a few more minutesssss, misssss." He said politely. A few more minutes, my ass. We'd been walking for over a half hour, and still no sign of advance.

"It's as if we've been going around in circles. Canella, are you sure you know the way?" Amber doubted. Her six tails flexed constantly, and I figured it was stress. What if we ended up back at Azalea Village? We'd have to start from zero. And I was NOT walking all that again.

I was lost in thought until I abruptly bumped against Amber's still body. Her ears had shot up, and she was sniffing the air. Soon, I caught the scent as well. A Posion type pokémon neared.

But it wasn't Ethan's scent. Michael bumped into me as well, but instead of complaining he caught the scent as well. Canella stopped moving, and her large potent ears shot up in alarm. Ethan hissed and slid off Canella's shoulder, going around in circles, watching out.

"There is a pokémon near by. A powerful one, judging by the smell." Amber said, beads of sweat running down her forehead. I wondered about how fire types could even sweat, but that wasn't important at the moment.

Amber was flung at a nearby tree. My reaction was too slow; a huge body rammed into me, sending me next to Amber. "What the Hell?" Michael shouted. I rose to my feat angrily. There was a ferocious roar as a purple blur proceeded to attack Canella, but she was ready. Her fist became frosty blue, and then she hit the purple silhouette with intense force. I went in and used Water Pulse, and the creature roared as it connected with it. "Where is she? Give her back!" It shouted. I fixed my eyes on it and managed to decipher the pokémon. It was a Nidoking with unusual green eyes. He was outraged.

Nidoking's claws glowed light purple and he smashed them against me, but I dodged. That was Poison Jab. He aimed another one at me, but a huge column of fire shot past me and directly at the Nidoking. The strong blow sent him flying, and he landed, charred, on a bush. "I'll never get her back…" He mumbled. He opened his mouth and it became filled with flames. It was as if he'd eaten a bonfire. "Where did you take Indira?" He shouted as he fired the flames. They took the form of a star, and it was so big it would impact all of us.

I readied a Water Pulse. But I didn't get to fire it, as Amber jumped in front of everyone and…took the attack. "Amber, are you okay!" I shouted. She breathed in air, and absorbed the Fire Blast! From her mouth she shot a powerful Flamethrower, wider and bigger than usual. Nidoking was hit one last time, before he passed out.

"Why do you think he attacked us?" I asked as I looked at the defeated pokémon. "Obviously another thief. His plan _really _turned out great!" Canella said, folding her arms against her chest. "I don't think so. He came yelling: 'Where is she, give her back!'" Amber said, trying to mimic her voice.

"Urgh…Indira…" He mumbled. I jumped up to look at him. He rubbed his sore head and opened one eye. "You…didn't take her, did you?" He asked. "No, we don't know who you're talking about." Michael replied, hiding one glowing fist behind his back, incase he needed to attack.

"My sister Indira. She was taken by a Vulpix and a Skitty…but I couldn't see their faces." Nidoking explained, stretching his legs and getting up wobbly. "I need to find her, before she gets into trouble." The Nidoking roared in pain. "Urp, this was all a misunderstanding. I'll be taking my leave. If you see my sister, let me know!" Nidoking said. He began to walk away, but Ethan coiled around his leg and stopped him from moving. "Hey bud, not ssssso fassssst. We could help you look for your sssssisssster, for a very low price." He offered. Canella nodded. "Yeah, _low _price." She said sarcastically. "But, I will accept to help you. No pokémon must be left in need. Nidoking, what's your name, darling?" Canella said.

Nidoking mumbled something under his breath, and then nodded. "I am Nijash, and my sister is my Iuncta Pectora." He said. "What's an 'Iuncta Pectora'?" I asked suddenly. "I'll explain later." Canella said. "Very well Nijash, I see the situation is grave. Where was your sister taken to?" Canella interrogated.

"I wish I knew. My guess, outside Ilex Forest. I was just about to exit when I bumped into those two over there," He pointed to Amber and I. "And confused them for the kidnappers. Yeah…sorry about that." He said sheepishly. "No worries, battling helps us get stronger." Amber said. I nodded. "Great, then let's get out of here because I'm getting tired of this _beautiful _scenery." Canella said, disgusted with the forest. Yeah, I was pretty sick of it too.

Nijash turned around and put his claws to his chin in thought. After a minute, he turned. "I'd appreciate the help." He said. "Very well, let's get out of here!" Michael said.

_**Amber **_

Iuncta Pectora? Yeah, I was used to not getting explanations. But that sounded important, and Michael probably knew something about it. I'd have to ask him later. Anyway, we were racing across the forest toward the exit. We jumped a fallen log, and broke through the remaining trees. Finally! We were out of the forest.

Bright sunshine poured down from the cloudless sky. The grass underneath my feet was damp, including the fresh air. There was a stone road leading up to a hill, on which stood a lonely maple tree. Its leaves had turned orange and brown, and some had even fallen off. They were carried by the wind and right into my face. I torched the leaves with Ember, and watched them burn away. "You like destruction a little bit too much." Nicole joked. "My sister loves this landscape. She could be nearby…Indira!" Nijash called.

A cold winter breeze blew. "Nijash! Nijash! On the other side of the hill-AH!" A female voice yelled. Something happened. Nijash jumped and ran off in hysterics, his head lowered and ready to jab anything with his toxic horn. We raced behind him but Canella, with her more potent legs, hopped faster and stopped in front of the charging Nidoking. "Control yourself. We don't know what kind of enemy lies beyond." She said. "That'sssss right. And, Canella'ssss advice is only worth five centssssss." Ethan said, wrapped around Canella's neck. Nijash mumbled, dug into the bag strapped across his chest, and flicked a nickel at Ethan, who caught it with his mouth.

We continued up the hill. We reached the maple tree, and Nijash charged down in fury. "Raticate, use Hyper Fang!" A girl shouted. There they were, down the hill. The girl had shoulder length honey blonde hair with purple streaks, pale skin, and turquoise eyes. She wore a tight jumpsuit that looked like it was made of flexible metal. In front of her was a Raticate. Following her command, its fangs glowed yellow and it lunged at the foe. Their foe was a Tauros, looking very angered.

Raticate clenched its jaw around Tauros's back, and he roared in pain before rampaging. Nijash came yelling, and the girl noticed; she nodded and threw her fist in the air. "Nijash, use Horn Drill!" She commanded. Nijash's horn began to glow white and spin like a drill. He came in contact with Tauros, nailing him right in the gut. The pokémon's eyes widened, before he fell to the grass defeated. "All right, Link Net!" The girl shouted as she aimed her arm at the Tauros. On her wrist was a weird machine that looked like a gun. It fired a silvery net that headed right toward the pokémon. It grew larger than before and tangled the pokémon in it. After having him entangled, the net contracted roughly, energy coursing through it.

It was a weird display, and I found myself immobile as Tauros became nothing but silvery dust. The girl pulled out a crystal ball from her bag and ran at the silvery dust. The dust became sealed inside the crystal ball, and as soon as it did, the name of the pokémon became magically encrusted into it. It read TAUROS in big, black letters. "I'm going to see if I can bond with this guy. If not, then I went through Hell for nothing." The girl joked. "Oh Indira, I'm glad you're okay." Nijash said. "Well, well, Nijash you came back! You know, ditching me wasn't nice!" The girl named Indira said, pinching Nijash's arm angrily. "I didn't ditch you! I saw a twosome kidnap you!" Nijash argued. "Really? You must be hallucinating."

Wait, back up. That Nidoking had said Indira was his **sister**. But how could he be a **pokémon **and her a **human**? It was biologically _impossible! _There was something wrong, very, very, wrong. Something I didn't understand…

"Well, howdy!" Nicole shouted, breaking the silence. "Oh, how cute! You wouldn't happen to already have an Iuncta Pectora, would you? Because you'd look so adorable with me!" Indira ran to Nicole and picked her up, petting her and admiring her. There was that Iuncta Pectora thing again. "Excuse me," I began. "What's an Iuncta Pectora?"

Indira set Nicole down and picked me in the same way. She began to pat my head, but when she petted my tails I felt annoyed. I involuntarily growled, and Indira took her hand away. "My dear, how could you not know? I can tell you later. Do you lot have anywhere to go?" Indira turned to the rest of the group. "Actually, we were heading to Ameithus City when we bumped into Nijash." Michael explained. Indira played with my curly hair. "Ameithus? You lot have to come home with me, in that very same city. After all, it'll start snowing soon, and I don't want you guys to freeze." Indira said. Canella extended her hand. Indira shook it. "Canella Range, pleasure to meet you." Canella said. "Indira Suhndrany, a pleasure, as well. Now come, before the sun sets."

Indira put me down. She pulled out a purple crystal ball that had the name NIDOKING encrusted into it. "Nijash, rest up." She said. Nijash nodded and became pink dust. Then the crystal ball absorbed him inside, and Indira put the ball into her bag. "Aren't you forgetting something?" Raticate complained. "Oops, sorry." Indira said. The same process was repeated with Raticate, only her ball had RATICATE written on it.

Indira picked up Michael and petted him. In fact, she thought all of us were cute, except, obviously, Ethan, that slithering idiot. She pointed over the horizon. "That's where we should be heading." She said. Then she ran off with Michael in her arms, who kept yelling "HELP!"

We chased after Indira until we left the hill far behind.

I was amazed, stunned, shocked, mesmerized. Ameithus was the perfect definition of _advanced. _Streets made of silver, lamps made of diamond, buildings all made of iron. There were vehicles, because I couldn't say _cars_, since they _hovered above the ground_. They had tinted windows, so I couldn't see who was driving. They didn't let out smoke, like they used no fuel. They had rockets attached to the sides. Then, I heard the traditional siren of a police patrol. A black and white _vehicle _with three sirens, one blue, one red, and one green, was chasing a runaway vehicle. The criminal inside the floating car sped up, making the rockets of the sides turn on. It flew away at high speed, while the police patrol copied the action. The chase continued in the sky.

"Wow…" I said in perfect unison with Nicole. "Pretty ain't it?" Indira asked. "Uh-huh." Nicole said. Her mouth was hanging open. "Alright, let me get my Hovercraft." Indira pulled out some keys from her bag and pressed a blue button. It was so fast I didn't even see the Hovercraft arrive in front of us. But there it was, as if it had always been there. It was like the others, only it was purple and had three black rockets instead of two.

"Hop in." Indira invited. A door opened, and revealed the cushiony insides of the vehicle. "I get the middle seat!" Nicole announced. "No way." I said. I raced her to the Hovercraft and hopped inside first. We fought epically for the middle seat that seemed comfier than the rest. "Uh, move away, excuse me, ladies." Michael said awkwardly as he tried to get past me. He finally made his way next to us, and I finally threw Nicole off. She landed on the left seat and pouted. "I loathe you." She joked. "The feeling is mutual." I joked back.

"I call shotgun!" Indira shouted as she threw herself at the front seat. But there wasn't a steering wheel. There was a pad where the wheel should be, and it displayed a map of the streets. Canella got into the Hovercraft and sat beside Indira, with Ethan sitting on her lap. "Ssssstart thissss machine, lady, or we'll charge you." Ethan said. "He's creeping me out." Nicole whispered and I nodded.

Indira touched the pad with her fingers, and the vehicle's motor started. She moved her finger along the map, and we began moving above the street. I saw through the windows as the modern city sped by. I was sitting back on my hind legs when I felt something slide across my back and just lay there. Michael groaned a little and began to whistle. What the Hell? "Michael, get your freakin' arm off me, NOW." I growled. Michael pretended to be shocked, and took his arm away swiftly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was just stretching!" He argued. Stretching, my butt. I heard Nicole start to giggle, followed by Canella, and then Indira. Heck, even Ethan giggled. It was as if they were sharing some kind of inaudible secret they weren't telling me.

"So, Indira," I began, trying to get them to shut up. "For the second time, what's an Iuncta Pectora?" I asked. Indira stopped giggling. "My dear, you don't know…It's actually quite simple." Indira said.

She pressed a button that read AUTOPILOT and turned to me. "_Iuncta Pectora _means 'joined hearts' in Latin. An Iuncta Pectora is what reborns would call, 'Pokémon Trainers', only we are much more advanced than those savages." Indira said, and fire boiled inside me. "Excuse me, _I _was a Pokémon Trainer." I growled. Indira flinched.

"Oh…sorry, dear. I didn't mean it like that. Reborn, huh? Anyway, what I meant was, that Pokémon Trainers were rather too rash when it came to pokémon. We Iuncta Pectora bond with pokémon. It is a special bond that is created between pokémon and human, at first sight. That Tauros I encountered earlier, I felt a special connection. The same happened when my brother was reborn as a Nidoran. We immediately became linked. When this connection is felt, it's the human's job to capture the pokémon to later become fully bonded. We use special items called Heart Balls." Indira said. She pulled out a crystal ball from her bag and handed it to me. I examined it. It was beautiful, pink and perfectly crafted. But it was empty.

"They are the latest technology. Inside, the pokémon may see the world the way the human does. When I try out this Tauros I caught, I'm going to see if we can bond. If it fails, I cannot keep Tauros. He'll brake free from his Heart Ball and go into the wild, and the link will be gone." She explained. "So, if you don't get along, you can't use it?" I asked. "Correct. I guess that's the only flaw in us, what makes us a little inferior to Pokémon Trainers. We are eternally linked to our pokémon. If I die, my pokémon die. If one of my pokémon dies, I go with them. And eternal bond, that if broken will cost us our lives. Aside from that, it's a very good thing to be Iuncta Pectora." Indira explained. "A pokémon who is bonded is also called Iuncta Pectora, by the way." Canella added. "Do any of you have one?" Indira asked, deactivating the autopilot and continuing to drive with the pad.

"Nope." Nicole said. "I don't, either." I said. Canella and Ethan shook their heads. "I kind of do…" Michael said. "Kind of? What do you mean, 'kind of'?" Indira questioned. "Well, my friend is a human, his name is Xepher, and he said he was trying to make me his pokémon. I don't think it's working, though, because he never lets me in my Heart Ball." Michael explained. Now that I thought about, it made a little sense. And Foolish had to be Xepher's pokémon, too. "It means the linking didn't work. It happens often. But it looks like you share friendship, and that kind of bond never breaks. He might not become your Iuncta Pectora, but he'll remain a friend." Indira said. Michael shrugged.

She removed her fingers from the panel, and the Hovercraft came to a stop. It turned off and parked, landing safely on the ground. I reached for the handle to open the door, but there wasn't one. "Just press your paw against the window." Canella said, doing exactly what she said. Nicole pressed her paws to her window, and the door opened and she jumped off. Michael did the same and exited the vehicle, followed by me.

I stared up at the huge building before us. It was a skyscraper so tall I couldn't see the apex. The building seemed to be made of pure steel, and it was painted golden. It looked like what in my time was a Resort Area luxurious hotel, only more advanced. We walked over the red carpet that leaded to the double doors, and we were greeted by a man in uniform. "Welcome to the Ameithan Luxury Apartments, we hope you enjoy living here." The man said in a robotic voice. "And we all know you're lazy, Bob." Indira waved her hand dismissively at the man, and his image faltered and disappeared. A hologram? Weird way to greet people.

We walked inside into the lobby. A huge chandelier hung by the ceiling, potted plants were on every corner, the floor was covered entirely by red carpet, and the walls were painted gold. Indira went up to the employee and he handed her a pair of keys, and Indira came back to us. "I live in apartment number 345 on the eightieth floor. Since we're a lot, we'll have to take separate elevators." Indira said. She went into one elevator with Canella and Ethan, and I entered another with Michael and Nicole. Now I could see what she meant. The elevator was very narrow. It was a good thing we were rather…*coughtinycough*.

We climbed on top of each other so Michael could press the correct button for the eightieth floor. As soon as he did, we fell apart because of the intense speed the elevator ascended with. It was so fast; I could feel the need to throw up. In a heartbeat, the elevator stopped abruptly, and we were flung to the roof. Once we landed on the floor, the doors slid open diagonally. Nicole's face was turning green, and Michael stumbled, getting his feet entangled as he stepped out.

When we came out, we saw Canella and Indira already waiting for us. Canella's hair was standing up erratically, while Ethan was totally green, his eyes swirling. Indira rolled her eyes. "Wild ride, huh?" She mocked. She slid her card key into the door and it slid open. We walked inside her fancy apartment.

The floor was carpeted. There was a huge wall-size window that gave view of the rest of the city. Break that window, and you're finished. Now, the ceiling was amazing. I didn't know if it was a window, or if it was painted-on, but I could see the night sky. A beautiful crescent moon was present, and in the pitch black sky I saw moving Hovercrafts in traffic. I could've sworn I saw I Clefable sitting on that moon, giggling down at the city. Okay, it wasn't painted on. "Since I'm on the top floor, I got a twin-view room." Indira said as she began to work in the kitchen. I could already smell she was cooking.

Nijash popped out of his Heart Ball as pink dust. When his body regenerated, he stretched, yawned, and scratched himself in an area I do not dare tell. "So, what's for dinner, Indi?" Nijash asked. "Tamato stew and baked Magikarp." Indira said. "Aren't Magikarp too hard to eat?" I asked. "No, all you have to do is crack the skin. Thank technology for immediate-prepare-ovens." Indira said as she opened the oven and pulled out a tray with the baked Magikarp in it. "I find it a little sad to kill and eat this guy, but their meat is too good to pass up." She said. Nijash tried to sneak a bite, but Indira slapped his hand away. "You're always impatient! Go sit down and watch some intergalactic TV." She scolded.

Canella sat down on the couch while Ethan slithered over to the kitchen. "We have sssssssoy sssssssauce, only two dollarsssss." Ethan said. "Ooh, I love soy sauce! I want some." Indira said. Canella tossed Indira a bottle of the sauce that seemed to come out of nowhere, and Indira gave Ethan the money. "Thank you for your kindnesssssssssssss." Ethan said as he slithered back to Canella.

"Dinner is ready. Come on, there's enough for everyone." Indira said. She pressed a button on the door and a dinning table with chairs emerged from the floor. Mechanical hands placed placemats, dishes, and even candles. We all went over and sat, but Nicole and I had to get some books so we could seat properly. Nicole gulfed down her food faster than you could count to ten, while Michael struggled to use the fork right. I started to eat my food. It'd been a while since I'd had a nice, cooked meal.

"Well, it's really weird I don't know your names yet." Indira said casually. "I'm Nicole, mmmmm." Nicole said with her mouth full. "Michael." Michael raised his hand and kept eating. "And you, darling?" Indira asked me. "Amber." I said.

"Great! Well, after dinner you guys make yourselves at home." Indira said. "Indira! Look, the tournament is on!" Nijash shouted suddenly. "Ooof, that was a low blow! GO BLUE CORNER! You can do it! YES!" He shouted enthusiastically at the TV. Indira stood up abruptly and sat down on the couch. Then she started shouting along with Nijash. "Ouch, no, no, no, no, aw damn, the blue corner lost." Nijash said. "GO RED CORNER!" Indira shouted. "What? You dare be against my favorite Iuncta Pectora team? How dare you!" Nijash said disbelievingly. "Easily, because I can do this." Indira said as she pulled out Nijash's Heart Ball. "No, no, please I wanna see this fight!" Nijash was sucked back into his Heart Ball.

"What are you watching, Indira?" Michael asked, finished with his food. "The I.P. Tourney. It's very exciting to watch, and useful to learn some strategies. Come, watch it with me, you guys might learn something." She invited. Michael jumped up and sat beside her. I finished my food and sat back on my hind legs in front of the incredible 50-inch plasma screen TV. "I just wish I had a better TV. This old piece of junk is very crappy. It only has 3D, and no holograms. And the audio also sucks…" Indira complained. But that TV was amazing! How could it be as junky as she said it was? We sure didn't have anything like this in my time.

In the TV, there was a large midair stadium. People and pokémon cheered on the sidelines, and some booed while throwing rusty machine parts at the competitors. There were two corners, the traditional setting for a pokémon battle. Only each side used six pokémon all at once. And the humans controlling them were right in the middle of the field, completely unprotected. Their pokémon battled around them, one corner against the other as they shouted commands. It was very, very weird. "What's this about, anyway?" I asked. Indira muted the TV. "Well, it's a basic battle. Each Iuncta Pectora commands their pokémon from the center of the ground, protected by a force field. The pokémon must fight according to their Iuncta Pectora's commands, exactly. If one pokémon is defeated, another is sent out. The battle goes on until Judge decides which side is out. They're competing for the first prize…an antique item called the Soothe Bell, which guaranties a bond between human and pokémon. If I studied right, it would be what Pokémon Trainers used to call a 'Master Ball'." She explained.

"Soothe Bell? An antique item?" I inquired. Soothe Bells were actually very common when I was human, almost every trainer used them, even I did. Their soothing chime made pokémon friendlier. "Yeah, they say they're like centuries old. They dug them up from the ground along with a few fossils a few months ago. I really wanted them, but the Tourney's all the way in Irisia, and I can't travel there…I'll try next year." She said sadly and turned up the volume.

"_And Breloom is down! Looks like the Red Corner have run out of backup, and they only have five pokémon left!" _The announcer said enthusiastically. "_And here comes the Blue Corner's Heracross to land the finishing blow on Kadabra! What an amazing Megahorn attack! Folks, this fight is the best one I've seen in a while." _ He said as the Red Corner's Kadabra was defeated. There were only three pokémon left on each corner. One of the Iuncta Pectoras exited the force field, and mounted her Steelix. _"Wow, an amazing stunt! But what is this woman thinking? She better be ready to go down with her Steelix, because here comes Magcargo!" _The announcer said. Steelix spun its huge body around and kicked up sand, creating a sandstorm and sending straight at a Magcargo. The pokémon took the hit plainly, and as its partner commanded, it slid underneath Steelix and lava erupted from its body. Steelix screeched as the lava engulfed it and the girl, and she fell off her pokémon, unconscious as Steelix followed to fall.

The unconscious Steelix was about to crush her, and I shut my eyes. _"A beautiful Lava Plume and it looks like victory goes to the Blue Corner! What a great fight!" _The announcer said. I opened my eyes, but there was no sign of the girl. I only saw Steelix lying in the ground, along with its fellow pokémon. "Ouch, the Red Corner girl got squished. Oh well, that's a tourney for ya; nobody ever gets out unscathed." Indira said uncaringly. I didn't know why she'd said Pokémon Trainers were inferior to Iuncta Pectora; at least we didn't get mauled!

"I'm going outside for some air." I said.

I walked alone around the streets of Ameithus City. Sure, I stuck close to the building where Indira lived. The night sky was much clouded, and the air was cold. I willed fire to ignite in me and circulate through my entire body to keep me warm. I exhaled roughly and watched sparks fly out of my nostrils. As I walked I barely saw people. Most of the Hovercrafts were parked. A few pokémon walked past me. There was a place with the lights on, and it seemed interesting, so I headed toward it.

An Armaldo greeted me by the door. "State your business here." He said in an unfriendly tone. "Just getting to know the town." I said, trying not to sound nervous. The Armaldo played with his claws for a second. "Okay then, welcome to the Galactic Bar. Please, come in." He said as he opened the fancy double doors.

I walked in, and the fancy jazz music caught me a little off guard. From a bar, I'd expected some loud hip-hop music, but no, the music was nice and relaxing. I looked over and saw a Jigglypuff singing, with a crew of pokémon playing the instruments. Pokémon and human alike listened to her intently, and applauded when her song finished.

I jumped up to a stool and put my paws on the table. "Well, hello. I haven't seen your face around before. You new here?" The bartender asked me. "Yeah. So, do you serve anything that can help me sleep? I've been having trouble counting the Mareep lately." I told the Grumpig. He wore a white hat and a stained white apron, and occupied himself cleaning a glass. "Ah, I know. Winter nights are almost unbearable. My guess, you'd like something without liquor or alcohol right, kid?" He asked me as he started to pick out some bottles. "No, none of those stuff." I said. One, I was too young for that, and two, I'd heard it didn't taste nice.

"Vey well, here's something nice and sweet. That'll be ten dollars." Grumpig said friendly. I almost choked on my drink. Ten dollars for a bottle of juice? What a rip off. I stammered a little. I had money, but not so much! "Put it on my tab, Bill. She's with me." A voice said. "Alright, Star, whatever you say." Grumpig said. I almost choked again. That voice! Star?

"Mistress Jirachi!" I turned around on my stool and saw she was sitting beside me, bottle of beer in her hand. She looked at me and flashed me a tired smile. "Hey kiddo. Didn't expect to see you here." She said. "Oh, Mistress! Are you feeling better? Have your wounds healed yet?" I asked happily. "Yeah, I'm just fine. I came here to meet up with…someone." Star said, blushing bright red. Someone? But everyone she knew was back at Azalea! Unless… "Mistress Jirachi, are you on a _date_?" I asked, shocked. She nodded and ordered another beer.

She giggled. "I know, I know. Nobody ever saw the bitter, cold, and bossy Star as the dating kind of girl. But believe it or not, I'm engaged." She said, and showed me a beautiful diamond necklace that hung by her neck. There were several ways to get proposed to, I guessed. I applauded lowly and took another sip of my drink. "That's great news, Mistress! So, who's the lucky guy?" I asked joyfully. "His name is Metorax. And you know him already." She said. "Then, where is he?" I asked, looking around for anyone who could possibly be her boyfriend. "He went to pick up today's news." She said. As if on cue, the doors burst open, but I couldn't see who it was because they had blinding speed. They zoomed in and sat beside star, and I could finally make out who it was. "Star, I have the news right here." Doexys said, placing a newspaper on the table.

Wasn't he supposed to be fighting with Mewtwo? How did he survive? "Amber, this is Metorax, my fiancée." Star said. Deoxys was in his speed form, then he turned back into his normal form to pat my head as a greeting. Then he put his arm around Star lovingly. "Hey, Bill! Hand me a bottle of beer, will ya?" Deoxys shouted. The Grumpig threw a bottle of beer from the other end of the table, and it slid across the wood until Deoxys caught it.

"Deoxys? How did your fight with Mewtwo go? Did you win? Is Veilstone safe? Can we go back?" I asked quickly. Star's head met the table. "Girl, relax. That coward fled when I called in some help. Veilstone is rather okay, and everyone is safe." Doexys informed me. That was great news for me. "And, I'm returning to my colony after my wedding, to which, by the way, you're invited. And I'm taking back everyone with me." She said. "Everyone as in, me, Nicole, Morty, Fuego, Hoja, Shadow, etc.?" I asked. I wanted to go back home, and let everything go back to normal. Back at my little, warm, underground lair with Morty.

"Oh, and congratulations to you two." I said as I finished my drink. "Yes, thank you. Hey, look at this news report." Star said, eyeing the newspaper with disbelief. Deoxys and I read the headline. AZALEA TAKES A TURN FOR THE WORST, it read. I began to read it aloud.

"Just a couple of days ago, a special inspector from the dictator was sent to inspect the small village known as Azalea. When the inspector arrived, the village's leader was not present, so he held her son hostage as a threat. But when it was least expected, the village's leader Lady Calypso, and former Irisia leader Lady Teph came into the scene and declared battle. The wild woman attacked the inspector with a jagged knife. Lady Calypso kicked the inspector out of Azalea with the help of other villagers, and freed her son. Local residents of Ameithus say this was a brave but stupid act, and it could cost the villagers their lives. I will make sure justice is made, the inspector has told the press. But are these empty threats? All we can do is hope Azalea comes out alright." I read. The image beside the paragraph was a colored, moving picture of Lady Calypso holding a knife to the throat of a Cacturne (who I guessed was the inspector) while holding the arm of a young boy, trying to take him away from the grass type pokémon. As the picture moved I saw the child screaming, the Cacturne trying to fight back, and Calypso pressing the knife more. It was a horrid image, but somehow I was glad Calypso wasn't afraid of the evil dictator.

"The woman's got spunk. How I wish she were our leader." Grumpig said as he eyed the paper, cleaning another glass with a handkerchief. "The woman's insane, that's what she is. She just can't accept the fact she's not a powerful pokémon anymore. Yet she still acts like one." Star said, drinking a whole bottle of beer in one gulp. "Hey, has everyone heard about that Calypso chick? She's awesome!" A guy in the bar said. "Dude, a woman like that would never go out with you." An Ampharos who sat beside the man in a booth said. The man face-palmed. "Don't degrade me!" He complained. Then a woman in a space outfit stood up. "Nu-uh, she doesn't believe in technology. A woman like that ain't worth nothing, you idiot!" She shouted. She raised her arm and pressed a button on a machine she wore on her wrist. The machine shot a laser at the man, but his Ampharos created a Light Screen and the laser bounced back, blasting a chunk of wall. "Hey! You could've killed me with that thing! Ampharos, Thunderbolt!" The man said. The woman pressed another button and turned on the jets of her jetpack. She tried to fly out of the bar quickly, but the Thunderbolt caught her and electrocuted her. "Why you son of a…Metang, use Metal Claw!" The woman said angrily. A Metang floated up from a booth and bared its sharp claws. Then it lunged at the Ampharos. "Use Fire Punch!" The man said. "Gladly." Ampharos replied as his fist caught on fire.

"Stop it, stop it, you'll ruin my bar!" Grumpig begged. Just as the attacks were about to collide, Deoxys stepped in with his Attack Form. With his tentacles, he grabbed Metang and Ampharos. Then he spun and flung both pokémon against the wall. He grabbed the man and the woman and kicked them out of the bar. Their pokémon stood up, looked scarily at Deoxys, and ran out the bar. "Heh, pipsqueaks." Star chuckled. Her face was flushed and she started to hiccup. She was drunk out of her mind! Deoxys came back and put his tentacles around her. "Let's go Star, you're drunk. Farewell, Amber." Deoxys said as he helped Star up. As the twosome floated away, everyone at the bar eyed them with fear before returning to their drinks.

The drink was starting to affect me. "Uh, gotta go. Thanks for the drink…what was it, anyway?" I asked the Grumpig. "Oh, special Miltank milk mixed with Sitrus berries and honey. Hope you enjoyed." He waved goodbye as I walked out of the bar, yawning.

I came back outside. It was very cold, so I exhaled fire. As I walked back to the apartment, I felt small snowflakes begin to fall onto me, as the ground slowly became covered in a blanket of pure, white snow. _'Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way…' _ The ancient voice in my head sang.

I looked up, and watched the snow fall.

**Wow…long and quick chapter! I just took my final exam today! So no more school till late January, which means I get to write as much as I want! HUZZAH! I'm going to try to make a Christmas special chapter, but if I can't, then sucks to be me. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It'll be the last time we see Star and Deoxys for a looooong time. Also, ****Indira and Nijash aren't mine. They belong to my best friend who was kind enough to read this fic and love it, even though she doesn't play or watch pokémon! Now that's what I call a true fan. Oh, and special thanks to HeartGold12 for Canella! Heck, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT! Please, review! **


	11. The Christmas Present

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Ten

The Christmas Present

One week later, we were still in Ameithus. I sat on my hind legs inside the fireplace at Indira's home, letting the fire relax me. "What day is it?" I asked Nicole, who sat in front of me away from the fire. She put her tail in front of her and read the watch that was attached, which was also a calendar, iPod, calculator, and dictionary. "It's December 23rd, 3058." She said. Wow. It was now that I realized just how long it'd been since I'd hatched; around two months, probably.

"Two more days for Christmas…" I announced drowsily. Nicole looked at me like I'd grown a seventh tail. "What? What's wrong?" I inquired. "What the heck are you talking about? What is this 'Krismaz' of which you speak of?" She said, tilting her head. "Nicole, you're kidding, right?" I said disbelievingly. Nicole shook her head. "Is it a kind of food?" Nicole asked.

She was crazy, I concluded. Everybody knew about Christmas! I sat up and headed toward the kitchen to see Indira. "Indira! This psycho doesn't know about Christmas!" I complained to Indira, thinking she could explain to Nicole. She stared at me weirdly. "What is 'Kristmas'?" Indira asked. Oh, come on! Didn't anyone know about Christmas? "MICHAEL!" I yelled. He fell off from the couch and looked at me, rubbing his sore behind. "What is it?" He asked. "INDIRA AND NICOLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT CHRISTMAS!" I yelled. He crossed his arms. "Are you crazy? Nobody does that anymore." He said.

I accidentally exhaled fire. Indira's carpet caught on fire. "Ah, my carpet! Amber, I think you need some air." She said as she rushed to put out the fire. I hung my head and left the apartment.

I took the stairs, but after ten floors I gave up and took the mad elevator. I grabbed on to a pipe I'd discovered as the elevator descended at ultra speed.

I came outside to the snowy city. I willed my body to heat up, so the snow that fell on me quickly melted. The dark sky was clouded. I walked along the chilly sidewalk as the snow melted under my feet.

I walked over to the Galactic Bar, where I was warmly welcomed. The guard Armaldo greeted me and let me inside immediately. "And now, ladies, gentlemen, and pokémon, I would like to sing a special song requested by Miss Canella Range!" The Jigglypuff said, lit by the spotlight. '_Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. How much fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!" _She began to sing. I saw Canella sitting inside a booth, drinking beer and chatting with Ethan. I trotted over to her and sat down on the free seat beside Ethan. "Hey Salvador, what'ssssss up?" He hissed. "Nothing much." I replied. Canella looked up from her beer and looked at me with her brown eyes. There was a white scarf, a Silk Scarf, tied to her left ear, and I doubted it was there before. "Oh, hello, Amber. What brings you here?" She asked. There was no joy or warmth in her voice.

"I'm a bit depressed right now." I said. "Hey, Bill, bring me a couple of beers, will you!" Canella shouted at the far bartender. "Why are you sssssssssssad? We sssssell anti-depresssssants for a low price." Ethan offered. I waved my paw at him, and he stuck his tongue out mockingly. "The whole Christmas thing, right? I go through it every year." Canella said sadly. It took me by surprise that she knew. "Huh? How do you know about Christmas? I asked everyone and none of them knew about it." I said. The bartender Grumpig came and served the two bottles of beer. Canella grabbed one offered me the other one. I took it hesitantly, smelled the drink, and took a careful sip. It was bubbly and cold, enough to quell the fire in me. I wasn't sure I was allowed to drink it yet, but one bottle couldn't hurt.

"Darling, because I'm a genius." Canella said sarcastically. I rolled my eyes. "Okay seriously, I've already lived once, way back then when Christmas was celebrated. But in my years as a human, that holiday was already starting to die down. It was all because of that idiot Biomegas and his paranoia. He banned Christmas and punished those who disobeyed his new law. I threw a whole tantrum, but I kept celebrating it in secret. Until of course, I was discovered…" Canella said sadly, finishing her beer. "Which is why I'm here." Wait, so all along, Canella had been a reborn, and _now _she was telling me? Well, she did have some qualities that identified her as no normal Lopunny: tomboyish, short ears, dirty fur, teeth that showed when she talked, brown eyes, and sarcastic nature. Never once had I met such a unique Lopunny.

"Well, I wasn't around anymore when it was banned. But why would Biomegas do that?" I inquired. By now we were whispering, because anyone could hear us, and not everyone was against Biomegas, as I'd learned. "Well you know the purpose of Christmas, right?" She asked. "Yeah, to commemorate the day Arceus finished the creation of the Earth." I said. She nodded. "Well, do the math. Biomegas wanted everyone to adore him and forget about Arceus, so he eliminated every holiday that had to do with her. That would be every one except Halloween and Valentine's Day." She said. "Now, ssssssome rebornssss from long ago celebrate it and ssssssome rebelssss too." Ethan said. There were those who lived disliking Biomegas's dictatorship, those who opposed and despised him (known as rebels), and those who supported him: Omegans. I was a rebel. But I was yet to meet a real Omegan.

"Yes, it makes sense. I see why you're depressed too. Christmas used to be such a joyous holiday, and now it's gone." I said sadly, and drank the rest of my beer. "Well, you know…we could still celebrate it." She offered. "Missssstletoe for only two dollarsssss." Ethan said quickly. Canella reached out and smack him. "Ow! What wassssss that for?" He said, rubbing his head with his tail. "I need you to keep talking, because I _love_ the sound of your voice." Canella said sarcastically. "Really? Becausssse I could sssssssing for you! _Twinkle, twinkle little ssssssssstar, how I wonder where you are…" _He began to sing very off-key. Canella growled and grabbed Ethan by the neck. "I meant, take a break!" She said. Ethan gasped for air. "Okay, okay! Got it, got it!" Ethan said between gasps. Canella let go of him, and he slithered away from the booth mumbling "Ssssheessssh, sssshe'sss got issssuessss."

"Anyway, I think you're right. I few presents, music, and happiness." I said. "Yeah. So, what'd you say? We could cut down a pine tree outside the city and bring it back to Indira's place. Then we could decorate it, buy a few presents, and just hang around." She offered. I nodded. "I like your ideas." I said. We did a toast with our empty bottles and sat up.

Ethan was lying on a table talking to a man in a space outfit. "Issss it true you've been to the moon? Are there nice ssssspace ladiessss up there?" He chatted with the man. 'It's a very nice place. And yes, there are very fancy ladies up there. I even got a girlfriend waiting for me at the moon, and I'll be going back to her tomorrow." The space man said. He wore a white jumpsuit and had a hand-free speakerphone. He was holding a small metal cube in one hand, and he was showing it to Ethan. "Oh, ladies, why don't you join me? There are enough Octillery arms to go around." The man offered as he saw us. Canella nodded and sat down beside Ethan, and I just chose to sit on the table beside the man, because there wasn't a chair for me. The man put his plate of food at the center of the table. Served all fancy-like were small red tentacles bathed in sauce and vegetables. Canella and Ethan ate them with tooth picks happily, but I thought it was repugnant. Eat Octillery? No thanks.

"So, a storage cube, huh? I have one of those." Canella said, swallowing the food. The man chuckled and set the cube on the table. "Yes, but this one is the latest model. It works in outer space!" The astronaut said. "What does it do?" I asked. He turned to look at me. He had short sky blue hair, blue eyes, and green round glasses. He looked kind off funny, not the kind of person who could go up into space. "The name says it all. A storage cube is used as exactly that, to store things. You see, it shrinks items into mere molecules and when one pleases, the item is restored to its original state. Like for example, this special rock I found on the moon." He pressed a button on the cube, and a circular opening appeared in it. The man dug his hand into it and pulled out a weird rock. It was asphalt black, with tiny traces of gray that looked like stars, and rugged.

"Is that a…?" I began, doubtful. The man nodded. "Yes, it is indeed a Moon Stone." He said. Moon Stones had very eccentric energies which caused reactions in some pokémon that made them evolve. "I find these really often, but I don't really need them, since I already have a Clefable." He said. "If you don't need it, I'll buy it from you. How do fifty dollars sound to you?" Canella asked, pulling out a leather bag. "Absolutely. That money will be useful." The man handed over the Moon Stone to Canella, and she gave him the leather bag. He spilled it on the table, and counted the bronze coins that came out. "…Forty-nine, fifty. Thank you, miss Lopunny. Oh, look at the time! I need to go." The man said as he stood up. He bowed his head politely and left.

_**Nicole**_

Amber had gone berserk. I'd asked Indira, and at least I'd learned the correct name of what Amber had been going on about. It was 'Christmas', something I'd never heard of. Unfortunately, I was sure it wasn't some type of food. At least I was sure it was something good. But the only way to find out would be by reading a history book. I shivered. No way. History books and I didn't get along at all. Michael was bound to know something, since he liked to read a lot. I thought I was the only one who knew he read a lot because he was really _bad_ at battling. He knew moves, he could use them, but you couldn't leave him to strategize.

I sat eyeing Indira as she polished her Heart Balls. "I wish you and I could bond," She suddenly began. "You're such a cute pokémon." She finished. My face became bright red. "You flatter me. But you know what? I'm also good at battling." I said. Looks weren't everything. Indira set down an empty Heart Ball in front of me. "Strong, you say? I'll be the judge of that. Want a battle?" She offered, angling her eyes in determination. I chuckled. "Between a wild pokémon and an Iuncta Pectora just for fun? Let's do this." I said. "I'll be the judge!" Michael offered. "Very well." Indira said. It was settled.

We stood atop the snow-covered hill outside of Ameithus City, Indira on the side opposite to me. Indira grabbed her Heart Ball and pressed it against her chest, then she tapped three fingers on the glass and the pink dust flew over to the battlefield. He materialized from the pink dust. Nijash stretched and roared. "Alright. This will be one on one. Begin!" Michael announced. I crouched.

"Nijash, Poison Jab!" Indira shouted. Nijash raised his claws and they turned toxic purple, then he lunged at me. Did this guy really think he could hit me directly? He definitely had another thing coming. I focused the water in my body (which wasn't much) over to my mouth to create a sphere. I imbued it with the questions in my mind and fired the Water Pulse at Nijash. The questions were what could cause the confusion secondary effect. My attack impacted Nijash right in his chest, but he tried not to flinch. He stammered a little, but he jabbed my back with great power. "OUCH!" I growled. "Sorry, girl, but it's what I have to do." Nijash said. "Now use Fire Blast!" Indira commanded.

Nijash opened his mouth and stored tremendous fire. I was still caught between his claws and the ground, and felt the poison starting to seep into me. The poison stung my insides and weakened me, but I had to escape before Nijash could finish Fire Blast.

"Hey Nijash, what's big, purple, and drools like a Lickitung?" I asked. Nijash shook his head. "What?" He asked, keeping the flames inside his jaws. "_Itsy bitsy Spinarak went up the water spout. Down came the rain and washed the Spinarak out_…" I sang, using focused power and 'sweetness' in me (yeah, sweetness, disgusting, huh?). Nijash's eyelids dropped. "No! Nijash, don't give in to that Sing attack!" Indira shouted in despair. But it was too late. Nijash closed his eyes and fell back. He snored heavily and drool ran down his mouth. The Fire Blast was gone.

Suddenly, I saw Indira's eyelids drop as well. She staggered a little, and mumbled a few commands to Nijash, but he was asleep. What was wrong with her? "Nijash…wake up…zzz…" She mumbled sleepily. "You're…gonna…cost…us…the…battle…zzzzz." Indira slipped and landed on the floor on her butt. Her head fell back and she began to snore loudly. "Seriously? When she said they were bonded, I didn't know it went this far." Michael remarked. "Yeah they're synchronized, which means, I win!" I announced, but Michael shook his head. "Not until you beat your opponent, Nidoking." He said. I growled. "Oh, I simply _love_ how you're always right." I said sarcastically.

"Wake-up Slap!" I yelled as my tail glowed white and hardened like steel. I ran over to Nijash and turned around, swinging my tail and slapping him many rapid times. The strength of my attack made him roll over to the far side of the field, and then he woke up. He stumbled to stand up, and I saw the bright red bruise on his cheeks. Indira shot up so fast I didn't know how it was possible, but the same red bruises appeared on her cheeks. My Wake-up Slap attack had awoken her too.

Indira growled. "Nijash, use Earth Power!" She demanded, rubbing her cheeks. Nijash roared as he glowed brown and the earth started to open beneath me. I desperately leaped out of the way, but more chasms opened up wherever I landed. Finally, I settled on turning the tables by leaping on top of Nijash's head. He was too stunned to move as the ground beneath him opened and spewed a lava-like liquid from it. Nijash was hit with his own move while I jumped off. After the ground closed, he fell back and collapsed. His body became pink dust and he was returned into his Heart Ball.

Even though I was awesome, I felt the poison linger in my body and sting me. I folded my four legs and laid down. My head was becoming heavier, but before I could pass out I remembered the move I'd been taught in training school. I focused the pain onto my tail, the source of most of my attacks, and it became imbued with a pink glow. I waved it to and fro slowly, like a bell. And like one it emitted loud and soothing chimes that entered my ears and seemed to course through my body, annihilating the poison. Indira's face softened, and the bruises on her cheeks faded, until they were no more. "A beautiful Heal Bell! Thank you, Nicole." She chirped happily. "The winner is, surprisingly, Nicole Katty!" Michael said.

_**Michael **_

Nicole was pumped. She wouldn't stop talking about how well her Heal Bell sounded, or how awesome her Wake-up Slap was. She was driving me mad! While we made our way back to the apartment, I caught sight of a lonely silhouette on the hill we'd just abandoned. "I've got something to do…see you girls later." I said as Nicole and Indira walked back into the building. I ran through the frozen sidewalk of the city until I reached the limit that separated it from the wilderness. The silhouette on the hill neared the single pine tree, and as it did it began to shake. Snowflakes fell on me as I dashed over to the snowy plains.

As I reached the top of the hill, I had to duck for my life because of a sharpened blade swinging the wrong way. The slash missed me, but it would've cut my head off. "Watch your aim!" I shouted as I stood up correctly. To my surprise, the attacker was Amber, who unleashed a second attack by surprise. I jumped up and the move missed me. "I'm sorry Michael. It is the one attack I can't master." She said. "What is it anyway?" I asked, irritated. "Wide Slash: an attack that can inflict damage on everything around me, but as hard as I try, I can't get it right. I was trying to cut down this tree, but my attack fails and it can't actually cut anything." She said. So, I was dodging for nothing?

"Why would you want to cut down this tree?" I asked her. "I need it." She said simply. There was something she wasn't telling me. "But, why?" I urged. "I…don't know if I can tell you. Go back to Indira's while I finish over here." She told me. She crouched and I watched as her tails uncurled and became sharp while glowing white. Then in the blink of an eye she spun and slashed with her tails. However, the attack did nothing to the tree, or me. "Damn it." She mumbled.

"I'm not leaving you alone. Let's just chat." I offered and sat down. "Well, what do you want to chat about?" She asked as she tried again to no avail. "Things. Like, who is that Morty guy to you? Your brother or something?" I asked. Her expression darkened. "My adoptive father. He was the first pokémon I saw when I hatched, and the pokémon I lived with until Mewtwo ruined everything." She said. I got the feeling it was a touchy subject, so I left it alone. "You were pretty good fighting Red Knight last week." I said. "Thanks. You were good, too. I couldn't have defeated Red Knight alone." She admitted. "Oh no, I stink at battles." I confessed.

Amber gave me an odd look. "Excuse me? But you've got a really nice Crunch, Hidden Power and Bullet Punch. Those are good moves." She said. I shook my head. "Good moves, but that's it. To be honest, I was just following your lead. When Nicole pinned Red Knight down, I decided to do the same. When I was about to fire a Hidden Power at Red Knight and you stopped me, I wasn't exactly sure of what I was doing either." I said. "Every pokémon needs to know how to battle. Don't worry Michael, I'll teach you as soon as I have time on my paws." She said. "Yeah, right. I'm older than you; you're not supposed to be my tutor!" I said. "Oh, really? Let's see…I'm technically more than a thousand years older than you. So, you loose, bud." Damn, she was right. I was like, what, two, three years old? "Then shouldn't you be walking with a staff, and cursing out technology and those 'hooligans'?" I joked. Amber laughed. Her laughter sounded so nice, so flawless. There was a dancing shine in her amber eyes. "I'm sorry lad, didn't quite catch that! I think I'm loosing my miracle ear!" She joked.

Amber used Wide Slash one more time, and managed to scratch the trunk of the tree. She stayed silent for a second in awe. "It actually cut this time." I said. "Tell Indira I'll be there by nightfall." Amber said. I nodded and stood up, but not before removing my scarf. "I don't know if fire type pokémon can get cold," I started. "But you should use this for a while." I finished as I gently wrapped my scarf around her neck. She smiled warmly. "Thanks." She said as I descended down the hill. That scarf had been sown by my mother, as a birthday gift. I'd always wear it, not only because I liked it, but because it also had a special effect. It was known as an Immune Scarf, which shielded the wearer from any status abnormalities.

I knew fire types couldn't actually get cold out in the snow. The real reason I'd given my Immune Scarf to her was so no wild pokémon could actually hurt her while she was out there. It was to protect my friend.

I was sitting on the couch watching an I.P. tournament on TV when Canella burst into the room. She handed Indira a box and went back outside. Nicole, who sat beside me, sweat-dropped. Canella slowly entered the room walking backwards, carrying the end of a tree trunk. As she advanced further into the room I saw more of the pine tree she was bringing in. Then Amber and Ethan came in, struggling to hold the other end of the tree on their backs. "Canella, if my spine cracks, I'm blaming you!" Amber growled angrily. She panted heavily as she walked in with the tree on her back. "Too heavy! Too heavy for a sssssmall pokémon like Ekanssssss!" Ethan protested. "Quit whining! Now set it down. Steady…steady…there, see, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Canella chirped when the tree was fully inside and set down on the floor. "You're dessssssspicable." Ethan spat.

"Um, may I know why you have brought that into my home?" Indira questioned, confused. "Just an object of decoration." Canella said simply. "Don't worry; it'll look nice when it is finished." She said.

Canella, Ethan, and Amber all pulled up the tree until it stood in a corner. We were all too curious to ask them anything as Canella grabbed the box Indira had been holding and pulled out a large extension of multicolored small lights. Canella started to wrap them around the tree in a spiral form. Then Amber picked up a red ball ornament and hung it by one of the branches. It was the most bizarre process I had ever seen.

We didn't ask because we were all sure they wouldn't answer us. The three kept putting up ornaments like colorful balls, angel figurines, and ribbons. What really surprised me was when Amber pulled out a smaller box, from which she pulled out a figurine that looked exactly like a mini me. Blue eyes, red scarf, everything. She climbed the tree and hung it around the top, then Canella handed her the box. Amber pulled out a figurine of a Skitty that looked like Nicole, another Lopunny figurine that looked like Canella, an Ekans figurine that looked like Ethan, and a Vulpix figurine that looked like Amber herself. I wouldn't normally say it, but they looked cute.

"Is that all?" Canella asked Amber. "No, there's like three more in here…" Amber mumbled. Then she pulled out a Nidoking figurine and a Mismagius figurine. She hung the Mismagius next to her figurine and Nidoking somewhere around Indira's view. Finally, the last figurine was one of a Scizor. She carefully placed it higher than all the others. Then Ethan slithered to the top and placed a big yellow ornament that had five pointy ends, like a Staryu. "There, the star looks wonderful." Amber chirped. A 'star'? I guessed that was the name of such a shape.

After an hour, Amber and Canella were finished. Ethan had gotten tired and stepped out. "Behold! Our new Christmas Tree!" Canella said excitedly. Indira, Nicole and I all stared at it in awe. "Christmas Tree? You're kidding, right? What's Christmas anyway?" Nicole asked. Canella glared and crossed her arms. "The time of year when there is peace and love, celebrating that the world was created. It is the season of giving!" Amber said happily. I wasn't aware of that. Never in my life had someone giving me something just for the heck of it. The scarf was because my birthday so that didn't count.

"I don't get it. Is this some kind of holiday you made up?" I asked nonchalantly. "We didn't make it up. It was forgotten, as all." Canella scolded. Indira clasped her hands together. "Now that I think about it, I've heard about Christmas before! It was banned in the year 2555 by the dictator. Wow, how do you girls know about it, then?" Indira asked. "I was around before it was banned." Amber said. "Yeah, but I was around when it was being banned. Ah, only rebels celebrated it in my time." Canella said. I didn't know she was a reborn! Well, I was no expert, so how could I have possibly seen it coming?

"Okay. Then where'd you get these adorable figurines?" Indira asked, playing with the Nidoking figurine lovingly. "Ah, we made them. We just used some clay, paint, and fire." Canella replied. Nijash materialized from his Heart Ball and stood beside Indira. "Is that thing really supposed to be me? Huff, we look nothing alike." Nijash scoffed at the Nidoking figure. "Oh? It looks exactly like you! It has the same green eyes." Indira argued. "Maybe it does. But it's not as nearly as handsome as me." He said, making a pose. We all sweat-dropped. "Yeah, right. That figurine is a million times better looking than you, bro." Indira scoffed. "Well, you aren't good lookin' either. I should hire you as a scarecrow for Halloween." Nijash argued. Indira gasped. "You stupid blonde!" She barked. "I'm not blonde anymore! I'm a pokémon!" Nijash said. "And blondes aren't stupid either…except for you, of course." He added.

I was laughing so hard my lungs hurt. Amber was rolling on the floor, and Nicole was biting her lip trying not to laugh. "Break it up, you two! Seriously, I have never met Iuncta Pectoras who argue so much with each other!" Canella stepped in and grabbed Indira's arm and Nijash's ear. "Hug and make up." She demanded. Indira shook her head and Nijash crossed his arms. "Never!" They both said, looking away from each other. Canella sighed. "You're hopeless." She surrendered.

Eventually, Indira stopped arguing with her brother. Instead, she started making cookies, with Nicole helping her. They wouldn't let me lick the spoon, so I sat down to admire the weird tree. The multicolor lights blinked on and off with some sort of rhythm as their colors reflected on the crystal ball ornaments.

"I'll be back by tonight." Canella suddenly said as she strapped her Silk Scarf around her neck for warmth. "Where are you going?" I asked. "To ride a mechanical Tauros to candy land." She said sarcastically. "Fine, fine; I won't ask." I mumbled. She was always sarcastic when she didn't want to answer. Canella shut the door behind her and left.

"Here's your scarf back, Michael." I felt a warm paw on my shoulder. I turned around to see Amber offering me my scarf back. I took it hesitantly, enjoying the warmth her paw created. I would never understand fire types. Never once had I been friends with one. The fire type pokémon were so few also, you rarely got to meet one. But all those old folklores about fire types being evil and wanting nothing but to burn everything down were wrong. Amber wasn't like that. She was warm in many ways.

"Thanks." I replied as I took it back. She smiled warmly and headed toward the door. "I'll be back before Canella!" She announced and left. And so, silence shrouded the apartment. Indira was in the kitchen waiting for the cookies to be ready. She wore a pink apron and held a big iron spoon. "Homemade cookies take so much longer than the instant ones…" She mumbled impatiently. "Can I lick the spoon?" Nijash asked. Indira shook her head. "How is it that men always want the rest of the cookie dough? You know what; I'm getting rid of it." She said angrily. She tossed the dough covered spoon to the ground and pointed to it with her hand. She pressed a button on the machine strapped to her wrist, and a red laser was fired. The spoon was shot and disintegrated.

"You and your stupid laser…" Nijash groaned. I sighed and sat up. I was tired mentally, so I decided to retreat into the Guest Room Indira had offered us. I used the doggy-door to get in since I couldn't reach the doorknob. I didn't care; I hopped onto the first bed I found in the darkness. I buried myself in the pillow and closed my eyes.

"You've already delayed one week, Michael. Are you sure you haven't swayed from your objective?" Xepher asked me in my dream. "I'm sure! And I know we've taken a long time…it's just that, well, we needed rest. You know..." I argued. Xepher sulked and played with his hair. "Lady Calypso wants to know of your whereabouts. I can't keep covering for you…Sooner or later she's going to find out about my lies." Xepher said lowly. "I keep telling her you're on your way to Ecruteak and kicking enemy butt, however, she's getting suspicious. I'm done for if she finds out!" Xepher said, accidentally yanking his own hair. The scenario he had created faltered a little. It was anxiety. "Please Xepher, cover for us just one more time…We'll leave before New Year's Eve, right after this whole Christmas obsession Amber has blows over." I said.

Xepher reacted unexpectedly to that. He shot up in alarm and clapped. He showed his pearly white teeth in a huge ear-to-ear smile. "Christmas, you say? Oh the nostalgia! Amber is actually celebrating it. Michael, you are so lucky! I wish I was there to join you!" He chirped. I was dumbfounded. "Christmas was my favorite holiday as a pokémon. I was so sad when I found out it had been banned…Even Foolish seemed depressed." Xepher stated. Again, I was dumbfounded. "So…what exactly is Christmas for?" I asked. "It is to show the people you care about just how much you love them by giving. People used to wait for Santa Claus to bring presents to their homes…but that wasn't the real point. To be with friends and family and share…that's what is was about." Xepher said. His image faltered, and I looked around for a possible reason but saw nothing.

"I think another dream is trying to make its way into your head. I must go. Tell Amber I wish her a Merry Christmas!" Xepher said. Finally, he turned into nothing but water. The beach landscape shattered like glass.

And another dream began.

I was standing on the edge of a cliff. I looked down only to see a great river like five hundred feet below. One wrong step and it would be over. Then I examined my surroundings. There was no green, not a single living thing around me. The sky was much clouded and light snow fell on the ground. Then I heard voices. The voices got closer and closer, so I hid behind a boulder.

"…Are you sure, father? If the Chosen One is heading this way, we must prepare!" A young female voice said. I didn't peak yet. I wanted to listen carefully before I stared. "I am certain. Twenty years ago I predicted the Chosen One would be among us before the end of this year. And, rejoice! My prediction was accurate." A much, much older and raspy male voice replied. "But father…what if the Chosen One isn't a good guy? What if the enemy got to them first, and made them evil?" The female asked doubtfully. "Sasuka! Do not say such preposterous things! You know if that were to happen…You know I would eliminate the Chosen One as soon as I got a chance. If they become evil, we have no idea what they are capable of." The elder said. "I understand, father. I'll back you up if that happens!" The daughter chirped.

I decided to look at the conversers. I carefully poked my head up to see beyond the boulder, but to my surprise all I saw were two silhouettes standing at the edge of the cliff. I couldn't see their faces, but I could identify them as pokémon because each had four legs. "Sasuka, if something were to happen to me, be ready to take my place as the prophet of Johto." The elder said, breaking the silence. "You mean, become the Great Absol? But…" The female tried to argue. "No buts, dear. You know you have the capacity. Besides, it will be long before my time comes." The elder assured her.

"How long do you think you have left?" The one named Sasuka asked. "I hope I last long enough to meet the Chosen One. And as I have seen in my visions, they are heading toward Ecruteak. And just incase they've stopped to rest, I've made sure to alert them to hurry." Suddenly the elder turned his head to me, and I hoped he couldn't actually see me. My heartbeat sped up when he still stared at me, and I was still as a rock.

"How, father?" The female asked. "I'll tell you later. Right now, it is time to prepare for the Chosen One's arrival." The elder said. As they left through the blanket of snow, the landscape also shattered like my previous dream.

A dark feeling in my gut told me that someone had been weaving that dream, also. But, how? I couldn't ponder on it, because right then I woke up. I looked out the window and realized it was morning. Amber was nowhere in sight, but Nicole was sleeping like a beast in her bed.

I stretched and left the room. Once I was in the hallway my nose caught the scent of something really delicious. What was it? It smelled like cookies. And I loved cookies. I ran down the hallway and reached the kitchen, where the smell was overwhelming. "Merry Christmas, pipsqueak!" Canella greeted me as she offered me a cookie. "I am not a pipsqueak!" I argued as I munched on it. I walked beyond the kitchen only to be greeted with a weird sight. Boxes wrapped with colorful paper and ribbons resting under the tree! There was a decent pile of them, each with a white tag with names written on it.

"Don't be shy; I'm sure one of them is for you. Just wait until the rest wakes up." Canella instructed. I looked at her and found it odd she was the only one awake. Not even Ethan was with her. But, what about Amber? "Where's Amber?" I asked Canella. "She left. She said she forgot something yesterday, I don't know what. She should be back soon." She replied.

So I sat and waited.

"Merry Christmas!" Indira shouted. Everyone was wide awake and celebrating. Everyone but Amber. Where was she? Why wasn't she with us? Suddenly the door burst open, and Amber came. "I come bearing gifts!" She announced. I sighed in relief. "Merry Christmas, Michael." She said as she came up to me. Her smile was warm and inviting. "Uh…Merry Christmas, Amber." I replied.

"Now, you may open your presents!" Canella announced. It was so fast, I didn't have time to react when everyone tackled and climbed over each other to get to the presents under the tree. I was climbed over, tackled, and squished several times before I reached the gifts myself. I sat and watched as Ethan slithered over a big purple box and tore it to shreds with multiple Poison Fangs. He picked up what was inside and stared at it. "Great, new sunglassssssesssssssss! Thankssssssss, Canella!" He said as he put them on with his tail. He posed and smiled that creepy smile showing everyone his new look. Awesome, an Ekans with sunglasses and bracers.

"Hm, from Canella, to Nicole…hey, that's me!" Nicole shouted as she found a small present among the branches. The box was wrapped in purple paper and a silver bow. Everyone was paying attention as she picked it up. Not caring how pretty it was, Nicole tore the wrapping to shreds with her short claws.

She took a step back when she saw the Moon Stone. Her mouth hung open in disbelief. Canella chuckled. "An evolutionary item. You may use it whenever you like." She said. Amber picked up the Moon Stone and eyed it carefully. "Nicole…you could use this…to evolve into a Delcatty!" Amber chirped. Nicole took a few seconds to think it over, then she walked over to Amber and demanded the Moon Stone. I knew that as soon as she touched it, she would change forever. "Think carefully, Nicole. Once you evolve, you can never change back." Indira warned.

Nicole shook her head and looked at Amber and me. I nodded in approval. "The heck with it! I hate pink!" And with that, Nicole grabbed the Moon Stone between her teeth. Not a second later, white light engulfed her entire form. Her form changed: she grew taller and taller, grew longer ears, longer tail. When her body was complete, the light left her, and the Moon Stone shattered, revealing the brand new Delcatty.

That was when we saw her real eyes for the very first time. They were cinnamon brown, twinkling brightly. The parts of her fur that were supposed to be purple were actually a little brown, like pancakes. Nicole was mesmerized at her own body, her new figure. She stretched her new long legs and extended her sharpened claws. "I…I can see clearly now! And I'm taller! Wow…even my voice is different! Thank you, Canella!" Nicole shouted, overjoyed. Her voice had changed. Not too different, but she sounded like a full grown woman.

"Wow, Nicole you look better!" Amber chirped. "I know!" Nicole replied. Then she ran off testing her legs. "And now, it's your turn mister." Amber said, turning to me. "Huh?" I said dumbly as she pushed out a box from underneath the tree and right in front of me. The box was blue with red stripes and had a green bow. The box was small. I read the tag that was attached to it. 'From Amber, to Michael' it read. It was Amber's handwriting, and who knew she could use a pen with her paws. Her handwriting was careful and cursive, much better than mine (I swear, when I was at school, stupid teachers would faint when I handed in my tests. I couldn't believe my handwriting was so bad…).

I hesitated to open it. Amber nodded and urged me. "Come on, don't be shy." I lowered my head and bared my fangs until they touched the paper. Then I bit down with Crunch and ripped the wrapping to shreds. There was a white box inside, and I slowly opened it. I finally saw a nice over-the-shoulder travel bag. It was brown and olive green, with a gold zipper to open it. It had many pockets and it smelled new. I held it up and threw it on over my shoulder. It was perfect! "Look inside." Amber instructed. I complied and found some sort of leather band. It was red with one bright pink stripe. I stared at it weirdly until Amber spoke. She angled her eyes and smirked. "It's a Power Bracer. It helps increase the Attack stat while training, but it might make you a little slower. We begin training tomorrow!" Amber barked. "I always keep my promises." She added. I put the Power Bracer back inside my new bag and smiled. "Thank you, Amber." I said. And I really meant it. Never in my life had I felt so warm inside, so happy. It was a new feeling. "Merry Christmas." Amber said once more.

"Merry Christmas, Amber." I replied with a smile. It was my first and best Christmas of my life.

* * *

**YES! YES! JUST A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE DEADLINE! See, I told you guys I'd upload before Christmas! Take THAT, evil clone!**

**Evil clone: You win this round, Queen! You may have won the war but not the battle! Oh wait…**

**So, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Next chapter! Will be! Written whenever I feel like it ._. **

**Anyway, I'd like to inform you that I'm planning a new side-story for The Order of Arceus called the Tales of the Reborn. As you can tell by the title, it will be about the lives of those characters who were reborn from my story, such as Morty, Nicole, and Amber! Even Canella and Indira! For this, I must ask the owners of Canella, Nicole, Xepher, Foolish, and Shadow to write their stories in the form of One-Shots or two-shots and e-mail them to me (my email's in my profile!). You will receive full credit, don't worry! And this is only optional because I can write their stories myself. Alright, when I say their 'story' I mean about the story of their past before rebirth, and the moment when they were born. Mail them to me if you finish, and I'll make the finishing touches. **

**So, see ya in 2011! (YEAH I'M NOT WORKING TILL THEN! **

**MERRY CHRISTMAS! **


	12. Old and New Faces

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Eleven

Old and New Faces

"It was nice to meet you, Indira." I said as Canella shook hands with Indira. A gust of wind blew and rustled her honey blonde hair. "It was great meeting you, two, guys. Remember you'll always be welcomed back here at any time." She offered. Michael crossed his arms and sighed. "We will. Just not anytime soon, we have a task to perform." He said. Nicole was sitting on her hind legs washing her front leg by licking it. I know, disgusting. "We'll miss you and Nijash." She said. "Ha, who could ever miss Nijash? He's a pain in the tuckuss!" She chuckled. "I heard that! Like you're pleasant to be with…" Nijash shouted. He was leaning against the doorway of the building. "Well we're stuck together so stop complaining." Indira spat.

"Well, we have to get going." Michael said, uncrossing his arms. "Bye, Indira!" I shouted as I turned around and began walking. Michael followed behind me along with Nicole, who walked more coordinated because of her new body. Was it affecting her head now? Last night she'd looked at herself in the mirror for two hours. "Bye! Don't talk to strangers!" Indira warned jokingly as we walked further away in the snow. "We won't!" I joked back.

We walked along the sidewalk toward a huge archway. We avoided stares from passing by pokémon and people and made it there. The street ended not an inch away from the arch. "This is the exit to Ameithus. Beyond this point is the route to Ecruteak." Canella said. "And the best part, I have a secret base near." She added. "Ssssecret basssse, sssssweet ssssecret bassssse." Ethan said dreamily, coiled around Canella's neck. "Where are you going?" A rough voice said. I jumped up in alarm only to meet a Machoke wearing a futuristic version of a police outfit. He had his arms crossed and was leaning against the archway. "We're leaving the city, sir." Nicole said. "Oh, really? You look shady to me." Machoke said, cracking his knuckles. I saw Canella roll her eyes. "Oh, don't be so paranoid, officer. What's so weird about a bunch of ladies traveling to the next route?" She said. "Excussssse me, Canella!" Ethan hissed. "Oh yes, a bunch of ladies, a Riolu, and a _thing_." Canella corrected. Ethan hissed.

"Huff! There have been reports of recent theft around the city. And you fit the description perfectly." Machoke said. "What? We haven't stolen anything!" Michael barked. "Don't try to fool me! Just look at the Wanted poster!" He bellowed, shoving a piece of paper at us. To my surprise, there was a picture of four pokémon with their backs turned, breaking the window of a jewelry store. After a closer look I realized they were silhouettes of Lopunny, Riolu, Delcatty, and Vulpix. However, their skin was totally black, their colors unidentifiable. "This is absurd! I evolved yesterday, and I never even left the building! The Delcatty in this picture is not me!" Nicole argued angrily. "I sell, I don't steal." Canella said. Machoke raised his fists. "That's what they all say!" He shouted. We were already drawing attention from bystanders.

"Look, bud. We don't want any trouble, sssso sssscram." Ethan hissed. But Machoke didn't listen. His fist gained a metallic color and he struck Canella faster than I could register. She was impacted roughly by the Bullet Punch and fell back. That did it. I tackled Machoke with a Faint Attack and Nicole followed with Double-Edge. Her attack was much more powerful, however, and it sent Machoke crashing against the archway.

Nicole growled, but her knees buckled from the recoil. "Now we begin training," I told Michael. "Machoke is a fighting type. Crunch won't work. What's your Hidden Power's type?" I asked him. Machoke recovered from the hit and crossed his hands like an X. He lunged at Nicole with Cross Chop, but Canella hopped in with her electrified fist and struck his head with Thunder Punch. All of it happened as Michael thought over his answer. "I'm pretty sure it's flying type." He confirmed. "Well, use it against him! It'll be super effective." I said. Michael nodded. He closed his eyes and small blue bubbles started to spiral around him. He spread his arms and shot them all. The bubbles impacted Machoke in his chest and the pokémon fell back.

"That sssshould be enough to keep him quiet." Ethan hissed. He slithered over to Machoke and smacked his head with his tail. "Take that, law!" He said. But then I realized we were not alone. I turned to see the horrified faces of the citizens that had stopped to watch. "Don't worry, ladies, gentlemen, and pokémon, he's only unconscious!" I shouted, sweat-dropping. "Let's get out of here." Nicole said. "Yeah." I replied. We began to run away after Canella abruptly picked up Ethan and swung him around her neck. "Sssso nice to ssssee you healthy, misssss Range." He said.

We soon disappeared into the darkness, and I turned my head to see as the lights of the city got farther away.

"I swear I've never met a bigger idiot!" Nicole complained as we trotted through the route. "Except maybe my friend Static, the Elekid…" She added. I giggled. "Don't be mean, he was nice." I scolded. "Yeah, he was nice, _to you_. He was such a jerk! And his accent was really annoying…" She argued. "Yeah, you're right." I agreed. "What kind of accent?" Canella questioned. "The British kind. A mean, not everyone with a British accent sounds bad, but Static's sounded so _bad_ I think he was faking it to impress people." Nicole laughed. "Yeah, I wonder how he's doing…" I trailed off. Last time I'd seen Static was when he volunteered to join the search for Red Knight.

I was in deep thought and didn't even realize that Canella had disappeared until Michael barked at me. "Canella? Where are you?" Nicole asked. We looked around. I sniffed around the tall grass. I kept walking with my nose on the ground until I fell. It was a sudden, abrupt fall. But, I kept falling and I realized it was a hole. "Ah!" My scream echoed through the tunnel as I kept falling, loosing view of the night sky. All I could see was dirt and darkness.

"Amber!" Michael called after me. "Wait, Michael!" I heard Nicole call. Then I heard them both screaming and came to the realization they fell down as well. I could soon see Michael falling quickly, flailing his arms in attempts to grab something. Nicole followed behind, but I got the feeling she would squish us if the hole had a bottom. "It's a bottomless pit!" Nicole said. The force of the fall was making tears come from her cinnamon eyes and be blown away. I was hoping she wasn't right. "No! Look, ground!" Michael did his best to point downward. I saw he was right, the tunnel was ending. "We'll be squished!" Nicole screamed. I really didn't want to become red pudding.

"Not if I can help it!" I shouted. "Grab on to my tails!" I instructed. Now my back was turned to them, so I couldn't see them, but I felt Michael's paw grip one of my tails firmly. I felt Nicole gently bite another of my tails so it wouldn't hurt me. Then, I executed Safeguard. I concentrated as hard as I could and created an interior barrier that coursed through my body, mostly to my six tails. The energy extended into Michael and Nicole making them glow, and once it was in their bodies, the shield expanded into a solid, pink barrier. The barrier formed around us perfectly. When we reached the end of the tunnel, the barrier protected us from impact, but we fell on top of each other. Or better said, Michael and Nicole fell on me.

"Ow, I can't feel my legs…" Nicole complained. "My eyes sting…" Michael protested. "And…you're crushing me!" I said between gasps. Immediately, the weight was lifted as they stood up. I stood up and felt my tails were completely stiff. I uncurled and curled them repeatedly to get rid of the feeling. I realized the pink barrier was still surrounding us, suspended in midair. Yet, Michael and Nicole could walk around as if it were floor. "This…this is…" Michael stammered, poking the crystal-like surface. "Is this Safeguard? Amber, I didn't know you could use Safeguard!" Nicole chirped. "Well, I never practice it around you guys. And I've never needed it in battle. Morty taught it to me weeks ago." I said. Michael kept poking the shield, as if making sure it wouldn't break. "I've read that Safeguard and Heal Bell are related, like sister moves. Nicole knows Heal Bell, and you know Safeguard…" Michael stated.

"Could you lower us to the ground now?" Nicole asked. I could, but it would hurt. "Yes." I said. I broke my concentration and the barrier dissolved and we all fell. Of course, I was ready for the fall so I stayed still and managed to land safely on all fours. Nicole landed gracefully on all fours as well, but I couldn't say the same for Michael, who fell on his butt. "Where are we?" He growled as he rubbed his sore butt.

"You weren't supposed to follow me down." I heard Canella say. "Canella?" I inquired, stunned. "After all, that's why it's called a Secret Base." She added. I still couldn't see her in the darkness. "Canella, we never intended on following you…we just fell!" Nicole argued. "Yeah, right. Don't worry, I'm not mad. I shut all the lights off when I felt someone coming." Canella said. She snapped her fingers. Our vision became clear when the area became illuminated. What I saw seemed very familiar. It was an underground lair lit by torches on the walls.

I finally caught sight of Canella. She was sitting on a big blue rock covered by moss. I looked around, but all I saw were simple items. There was a wooden table in a corner and a small bed with red sheets near it. In Canella's arms was a very cute Typhlosion doll. It was a little dirty, but otherwise in good conditions. "So, this is your Secret Base?" I asked casually. "Yeah, but I haven't visited it lately. I'm going to stay here and remodel…" She trailed off. "…I understand. You're leaving us, aren't you?" Michael asked. Nicole frowned. Canella sulked and caressed the doll in her hands. "…I'm sorry. I was planning on separating from you without getting noticed, so you'd be far away by the time you'd realize I was gone." She confessed. "But why, Canella? Didn't you say you wanted to travel the world? And what about Ethan?" I asked. There was dread in my heart, because Canella had become a great friend.

"I asked him to accompany you. He has other goals. And he should be waiting for you outside. Please, trust him…" Canella said. She still wouldn't meet my eyes. "We will! We trust Ethan as much as we trust you…But, why do you want to break up all so suddenly?" Nicole asked. There was sadness in her voice as well. Canella hugged the doll in her hands tightly. "I…I need to look for someone…someone who was important to me…I've finally learned of his whereabouts, and I need to set out to look for him." Canella said, sadness in her voice. Somehow, I understood her feelings. We would only be getting in her way. And she wanted Ethan out of it too; because she knew he'd be better off with us. It was a weird feeling in my heart. But I also felt it was not the last time I'd see her. "This is not a farewell, rather a temporary goodbye. We will meet again." Canella said.

"I know we will." I said with a smile. "I will still be in Johto…and I will see you. I have important matters to attend." Canella said. "Step into that tile, it will teleport you out of here." She instructed. We didn't say anything as we all stepped onto a big, cold, metal tile on the floor. It began to glow as we stepped in. "Goodbye, Canella!" Nicole shouted. "Goodbye…for now." Canella replied. And I felt as I was lifted off the ground and turned into dust.

"Alright, here's the firewood." Michael set down a pile of sticks in the center of the clearing. I exhaled and lit the bonfire. I sat back on my hind legs near the fire, admiring the flames. "Another tiring day." Nicole complained as she stretched her legs and then folded them beneath her. "Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure." Michael commented. He opened the bag that I'd given him for Christmas and pulled out the Power Bracer. I understood what he wanted. "We could train tomorrow. You're fighting against me." I said. "Oh look at me, I'm shivering." He joked, hugging himself and making his teeth clatter. I smirked and exhaled fire that expanded over to his side and threatened to burn him. He squealed and jumped up, standing on the tips of his toes to keep away from the fire. "You have no idea what fire is capable of, Michael. It is the most destructive thing around and almost no one can stop it…" I began. I inhaled and, instantly, withdrew the flames into me. It left a trail of charred grass. "…Except those who can control it." I finished. Michael sighed in relief and glared at me, sitting down. "Wow, pretty dark stuff you say. You know how to be creepy." Nicole admired. "Thanks, but you don't even know just how creepy I can be." I said with a smile.

"Hey, you wanna know ssssomething creepy? Waking up and realizing your underground and thinking you've been buried alive…yeah, that'ssss sssscary." I heard Ethan's voice. I turned to see him return from his search for berries. "Look at the loot I got! They musssst be delicioussss." He said as he dumped a bag of berries on the floor. There were Oran, Pecha, Chesto, Cheri, Rawst, Persim, Sitrus, Tamato, Wepear, and Wiki berries. "Ooh, I really love Wiki berries! Let me have it!" Nicole shot up and tried to grab one of the berries, but Ethan smacked her paw away with his tail. "Sssstay back, you foul creature…Jusssst joking, I brought them for everyone!" He said with a creepy smile. Nicole glared at him. "You know, they tasssste better if cooked." He added.

"Hey, a Tamato! Hehe, I better cook this one." I said as I picked up the big Tamato berry. It was bright red with spike-like parts all around it. It was almost as big as my head. I exhaled gentle fire around the berry and heated it until I saw the surface char and become crusty. I took a bite. It was soft and mushy, but extremely spicy. I loved the spicy flavor that helped increase my fire power. I saw Michael take the Wepear, impale it with a stick and then hold it very close to the bonfire. "Nothing is better than bitter berries." He chirped. "You're wrong. Dry berries are the best!" Nicole said, mimicking Michael's actions with a Wiki berry.

They roasted their berries in silence. "Hm, you tow wouldn't last a second with a piece of Tamato in your mouths." I said as I munched my berry. "Huh? What are you saying! I can SO take a Tamato! Just give me a piece!" Nicole barked. She dropped her stick with the half-eaten berry and ran to me. I chuckled and cut a piece of the Tamato with my half-developed claws. "I dare you." I said. Nicole gulped down the chunk faster than I imagined, and I sat back and waited for her reaction. "AH! AH! IT BURNS! IT BURNS! My tongue is on fire!" Yes, just the reaction I'd expected. Nicole hung her now red tongue out and flailed around, desperately trying to cool down. "I need water! I need water!" Nicole shouted as she ran away from us. She became lost in the darkness as she ran past a bush.

"We need to go after her!" Michael sprung up immediately. "Don't worry, there'ssss a ssssmall lagoon right there. Ssssshe won't be long." Ethan informed. "I'm beat. We should go to sleep." Michael said, yawning. "I agree with you." I said. I walked into the bonfire and laid down on the burning wood. Michael laid down on the grass looking weirdly at me before he closed his eyes. I closed my eyes and snoozed off.

_**Nicole**_

Stupid Amber. Why did she have to dare me? I could still feel the spice of the Tamato in my tongue and throat, no matter how hard I tried to wash it off. The water of the pond was crystal clear and pure. Or at least, I hoped it was, or I'd have to cut my tongue off.

I was dipping my paws in he pond and washing myself when something hauled me in. It was so sudden, I didn't see what or who it was, I couldn't hang on to something, I didn't inhale deeply from the shock, and so I had trouble holding my breath in the dark pond. I struggled to swim correctly, but I really hated swimming. Something had my front legs and because of the darkness I couldn't see what.

And so I flailed around, desperately trying to get free so I could resurface and breathe, but it held me back. I tried to yell, but only bubbles came out of my mouth. Then, I decided it was not an object holding me back as it pulled me down but a pokémon. I could see the silhouette, face hidden by darkness. So I did the logical thing and tackled it with my powerful Double-Edge. I recoiled, but the creature let go of my paw.

I wasted no time resurfacing, poking my head just above the surface and taking a huge breath. But I wasn't going to let that pokémon escape. Depending on the species, it could be breakfast. "Alright fishy, time you learn not to mess with a Delcatty!" I growled as I took a big breath and dove down.

I swam cautiously aware of the presence of other water pokémon like Psyduck and Magikarp, but they were asleep. I didn't want to wake them. But I had to find my aggressor. Where were they? I came up for air and dove down again. I caught sight of a dark silhouette swimming slowly, and it was the same one I saw hauling me down. I bared my fangs, but tried not to swallow water, and swam as quick as I could to catch it. My Double-Edge wouldn't be as strong if I wasn't fast, but it could still do some damage. I lunged at the creature with the power building inside me, but it stopped swimming abruptly. '_No, please, wait!' _A voice said in my head. I stopped my attack and looked at the silhouette. What was that? _'I'm sorry about earlier, just don't hurt me!' _The voice said in my head. '_Telepathy?' _I thought. '_Yeah!_' It said. It was a childish male voice, so I guessed the creature was male. _'Who are you and what are you up to?' _I asked in my head.

But I couldn't hear the response as I had to come up for air. I left the pond and sat by the edge, shivering. The water fizzled, and the silhouette swam out. I could finally see who it was now that my vision was right, and I realized it was a Slowpoke. So, that explained the telepathy. "Okay, what do you want?" I asked. "I heard you were heading to Ecruteak." He said very slowly. "From who?" I asked, suspicious. "Some Lopunny named Canella. She told me…that if I found a Delcatty or Vulpix or Riolu to tell them that be on the look out for the authorities…you're wanted in Ameithus. Or at least that's what I think she said. Anyway, when you get to Ecruteak it will all be okey-dockey." He said slowly. "Seriously? Ok, thanks for the information, Slowpoke." I thanked. "No problem." He said. He walked in total slow motion back into the pond. But before he could dive, I had to ask him something. "Hey, but why did you have to haul me in like that?" I inquired. He blinked twice and raised an eyebrow. "What? I didn't do anything like that. If anything, I found you when you hit me." He said slowly and disappeared into the water.

A cold and ominous wind gusted by and rustled my brown fur. But if it hadn't been Slowpoke, then what? Who? The wind picked up and a far away Houndoom's howl could be heard. I shivered and retreated the way I came, without knowing something had risen from the water and lurked quietly behind me.

The next day I woke up to see only Ethan remained sleeping. Michael and Amber weren't anywhere in my sight. So naturally I got up, stretched, yawned, checked my morning breath-which stunk-and looked around. "Amber, Michael, good morning!" I called. No response.

I picked out some of the leftover berries and ate them. Then I heard an explosion in the distance. I had to find out what it had been, but I was unsure about leaving Ethan alone. Poor guy wouldn't stand a chance against a wild pokémon, especially since I'd never seen him fight, not even once. So, against the disgustingness of it, I picked him up with my mouth and flung him around my neck. He hung there like a scaly scarf, like Canella had carried him. I ran in the direction of the sound and, after tripping a few times, found myself at a clearing.

"No, not like that! One punch after the other, let's go!" Amber shouted. Michael's fists glowed silvery and he lunged swiftly at a Skiploom. He struck it with one fist first, then hit it with the other. Skiploom fell to the floor. I breathed a sighed of relief. Here they were, training. "You're Bullet Punch might be a little slower while you wear the Power Bracer, but it will enhance your attack if you level up." Amber explained. Sweat trickled down Michael's dirty face. There was a red band tied to his tail. "Puff, hey, Nicole," He noticed me. "Well, well, you two look quite busy. What are you doing, Amber?" I asked. Amber was far behind him. She smiled. "Just training Michael." She replied.

"_Training _Michael? You _do _know he you're not an Iuncta Pectora, right? You don't own him." I said, laughing slightly. "Hey, wait, she's right." Michael muttered. The Skiploom suddenly sprung back up and twirled, throwing an array of razor-sharp leaves at Michael. But his back was turned and he didn't realize it. "Look out!" I warned. "Use Detect!" Amber shouted. Michael's eyes took a tiny gleam, and the leaves dissolved as soon as they connected with his body. The Skiploom gasped but shot yet more leaves. "Dodge it and use Hidden Power!" Amber shouted, smiling. Michael sidestepped quickly, evading the leaves. Then he raised his arms and created glowing white bubbles before flinging them, one by one, at the grass type. They picked up wind before connecting with the other pokémon and knocking it out. Amber jumped in place. "Now for the pokéball…!" She chirped, reaching for her waist with her paws. "Huh?" Michael and I were confused. Suddenly a look of realization crossed Amber's face, and she frowned, sulking. The Insect Plate that hung around her neck glistened white as she hung her head, but then it stopped.

"I'm sorry. I got too caught up in the moment…" She said lowly. Michael walked over to her but she turned her back. "I need some time alone." She then ran away through the trees. "What's wrong with her?" Michael panted. "I seriously don't know. What was up with that whole 'pokéball' thing?" I inquired. I didn't know about a 'pokéball'. I thought that maybe I'd heard the term during history class at the training school, but I never actually paid attention to class.

"I think it has, puff, something to do with her, puff, past. Puff, puff, one of us should, puff, puff, go check on her." Michael said, panting. "I'll go talk to her, you need to rest and get some water." I stated. He nodded and thanked me. "Oh, and take this guy with you." I said, dropping the STILL dormant Ekans on the floor. Ethan wouldn't wake up. Instead, he snored loudly. Michael sighed and panted, grabbing Ethan's tail and dragging him away.

After that I ran in Amber's direction. There weren't many trees around and the ground was just dirt, but I couldn't see her. She probably got eaten! But by who? I had to find her! No pokémon could be safe while on their own. Take the tattered Skiploom, for example. She'd probably been strolling around happily before getting attacked by two psychos.

I was about to give up when I caught her sent. She always smelled like a combination of ash, dirt, flowers, and burnt cookies. I ran, guided by my new potent nose. I came to a section that seemed dead, burnt, and ominous. Fog covered the area. "I know you're there." Amber's voice said, but I couldn't see her. The temperatures were descending. "I like this place." She said. "I don't know why, but I like it." She said. "Tell me where you are, Amber! I just want to talk to you." I said. "Of course, I'm right in front of you." She said. But she wasn't there! I decided to follow her voice until the fog cleared. And it did as soon as I took another step. I gasped. It…it…

It was cemetery. It was a dark, ominous, clouded, foggy, and creepy cemetery. Amber on top of a tomb with back turned to me, tails down, head hung, and ears lowered. "Amber..." I began. She sighed. "I got so caught up in the moment. For the first time in so long, I felt human again. I felt like a pokémon trainer. And I actually forgot I was…this." She admitted. She referred to her Vulpix body. I sat beside her on the marvel tomb. "Look, when I was around, pokémon trainers across the globe were being slaughtered. Only very few existed. I never got to meet one face to face. I know it must hurt to know for you, but they're not around anymore." I explained. "I know. It hurts. Instead, there are the Iuncta Pectora. But they don't understand the true meaning. "And it's not just that. All of my hopes and dreams went down the drain. If only I hadn't been so stupid! Huff, thinking I could hide inside Cerulean Cave, how dumber could I have gotten? I wish I could start over from zero, in my human form!" She cried. There was a sad tone in her voice.

"So…you regret being reborn?" I sadly inquired. It really did sound like she wished she'd never been reborn. "No! I don't regret being reborn and meeting you and Michael! What I do regret is my mistake. Nicole, you know better than anyone how it feels to loose everyone and everything. I lost my friends, family, pokémon, and the man I loved. I'll never get to see them again!" She said. A small tear formed in her eye. A Noctowl's cry could be heard in the distance. She was right. I knew that I'd never get to see my loved ones ever again. But right now I had new loved ones. They weren't enough to fill the void, but enough to heal my mental wounds. Amber was still too young to grasp reality. Even though she was calm, smart, and a kick-ass fighter, she hadn't fully adapted. "DO you know what we're sitting on, Nicole?" Amber asked suddenly. "Uh, yes, it's a tomb, why?" I asked.

Amber exhaled a bluish flame, which was creepy, and lit up the spot where the tombstone was. "Right. Do you know who lies here?" She asked. Obviously, I had no idea, and I didn't want to find out, either. I read the engraving. "Jacques Fireleaf, 2085-2155…" I read. That last name sounded familiar. "He was a descendant of mine, probably my brother's grandson. That would mean my brother got to live a long time, which is good. I'd always wanted to name one of my children Jacques. The name sounded so exotic I just had to use it. But I never got the chance to get married. I was eighteen when I was killed." Amber stated. "Huff, I was young, too. At least you died with dignity; I was tied up and shot!" I protested, trying to lighten the mood. Amber chuckled. "So true." She said. Then she looked back up at the tombstone. "I hope I get to meet you, Jacques, if you are reborn. Come looking for your grandaunt, you hear?" She said into the sky. I giggled.

"We should keep going from here. Ecruteak should be near. I'll go fetch Michael and Ethan, you stay here." I instructed. She nodded, and I walked away the same way I came.

_**Amber**_

She left. I was alone. I liked the temporary peace and quiet. I didn't know why, but this place made me feel good. But it was a cemetery! I found it weird I'd like this place! I got up from Jacques's tomb and walked around with lots of thoughts in my head. I'd just discovered my family had expanded, at least a little. There was a chance that maybe my family name could still be around. And who knew? Maybe my descendants could look nothing like me. My family had been formed out of elites. My father had been the champion before me, my mother a well-known coordinator from Hoenn, and my little brother…well, I didn't know if he got famous after I died.

I greeted some ghost type pokémon as I walked around. They were awfully friendly for…you know, being ghosts and all. There were hundreds, probably thousands of tombs, around the place. I searched few of the oldest ones to see if I could find any familiar names but no luck. Some were too damaged to read. "Hello, Miss." A Duskull greeted me. "Um, hey. Would you happen to know where the exit is?" I asked him. His creepy red eye swayed back on forth inside his hollow skull. "Yes. DEATH! Just joking. People shouldn't really be scared of us. I mean, what's so scary about me? I don't like death. Anyway, you should just keep going until you see the thousand-year-old fountain. After that, turn left and you'll see the gate. "Thank you. And by the way, you're right. You're not scary, a little creepy, but not scary." I assured kindly. The only pokémon I'd ever found scary were certain bug types like Ariados. Mostly Caterpie. But ghost types weren't scary. They liked to scare. But not a single one had ever managed to scare me (except maybe Shadow, but that was because he liked to sneak up on me).

"Thank you. By the way, there's this suspicious pokémon wandering the gate. You look tough. Mind, um…checking on it for us…?" Duskull asked hopefully. I didn't look _that _tough, did I? "Sure thing." I said. Duskull nodded and disappeared somewhere. When he said 'us' I was sure he meant the other ghosts.

There were dead trees all around the cemetery. I was just walking around, watching ghost pokémon all over, until I caught the sound of sobbing. It was weak and low, but I could still hear it. I quietly walked around looking for the source and after I saw it, hid behind a tombstone. I couldn't see who it was because of the fog, so I guessed they couldn't see me either. I decided to come out of hiding and confront the sobbing creature. "Are you okay?" I asked, putting a paw on their shoulder. A closer look revealed it was an unusual Absol sitting back on their hind legs. Why unusual? Because its fur was rather gray, and judging by the horn the parts of their body that was supposed to be black was purple. The Absol's weird coloring reminded me of Mistress Jirachi's weird coloring. She also had a beautiful red crystal hanging from her neck.

The Absol whipped their nose with their paw and lifted their head up. "Um, yes! Just, um, sad because I had to kill some roses!" She chirped. She sniffled and stood up, towering over me. "Thank you for caring!" She said warmly. She seemed young. Her eyes were a deep violet color. And as I had guessed, her fur was gray and the rest of her body was purple. She wore a pink flower incrusted on her horn. All sadness in her seemed to have disappeared, as if she had never been weeping.

I grinned. "I'm Sasuka Misfortune! My friends sometimes call me Sasu, or Suka, or anything that is my name minus one syllable! Haha!" She chanted. "Well, I'm Amber Salvador and my friends call me…well, Amber." I said. "Cool! Hey, where are your friends anyway?" Sasuka asked. "I have no idea. They said they'd meet me here." I complained. "Well, we could go get rid of that sneaky guy over there while you wait for them." Sasuka stated, pointing with her purpled claws to an eerie gate lit by dull torches that dispersed the heavy fog. Beyond the gate I could see the beautiful sun shinning brightly, not a cloud in the sky. Because of the darkness and dense fog of the cemetery, I'd forgotten it was daytime. Indeed, there was a tall silhouette of a man standing by the gate. He looked awfully suspicious. I hid behind a tombstone and signaled Sasuka to hide behind me.

The man stepped into the light. Put his wrist to his face. "Hello, General? Can you hear me?" He asked. I realized he had some sort of communicator attached to his wrist. "_Loud and clear, minion. Report now_." The person/pokémon on the other side replied. The voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't quite put my paw on it. "Well, I can't see a thing, that's for sure. And this place is crawling with stupid ghost type pokémon and I don't like it. If we bombard the cemetery, I don't think anyone would care." The man stated. Bombard the cemetery? No! That wasn't rational! "_Very well, minion. I'll meet you at Ecruteak so we can interrogate that rebellious prophet." _The one on the other side.

"They must be talking about the Great Absol…" I thought out loud. Sasuka gasped. "Oh no, Father…" She said, biting her lip. "What?" I gasped too. "I'm sorry, General, but I think I heard something. I shall report back later." The man said, turning his head in our direction. Crap, he spotted us! "_Very well, minion." _The other voice said before the man lowered his hand. But with the other, he pulled out a shuriken. He tossed it our way, and I was sure it would hit me, but Sasuka swung down her horn and sliced the shuriken in two with a mighty Slash.

"Come out, you little pests, I won't bite." The man chuckled. "He won't, but I will." I muttered. I jumped up and became visible to the man. "Oh, what do we have here? You're nothing but a little brat!" He mocked. Without a word, I shot the dark rings of Dark Pulse at him. He tried to hop and dodge them, but he was sluggish and tripped. "I have no time to deal with you!" He shouted, jumping up. He grabbed a round item in his hand and tossed it on the ground, smoke exploding everywhere. I couldn't see anything, so I could only assume. I shot my Flamethrower. The flames went right through the smoke and dispersed it. But by the time it was clear, the man was gone.

"Damn," I muttered. "Amber?" I heard Nicole's voice. I turned around to see the three of them, Nicole, Michael, and Ethan, ready to go. "Oh, hey, guys. You kept me waiting long enough." I complained. I exhaled fire, just for them to understand I didn't like to wait for others. "Haha, nice… Anyway, can we get going now? I'm picking up a bad vibe in this place." Michael said, his ears lifting. "Oh, hello!" Sasuka jumped over them and landed next to me. She'd been so quiet I'd forgotten she was there. "Are these your friends? They seem so nice! Can we be friends, too? Please! I'm Sasuka!" She chirped quickly. "Sasuka, these are my friends Nicole the Delcatty, Ethan the Ekans, and Michael the Riolu." I introduced, gesturing to them respectively. Nicole smiled. Ethan hissed and grinned creepily. Michael just stared at her wide eyed. "Wait, did you just say your name is _Sasuka_?" He asked, dumbfounded. "Yeah! Why?" Sasuka asked. "Um, no reason. It's just…an unusual name, as all." Michael lied. I knew he was a bad liar by the octave his voice gained every time he didn't tell the truth. Something was wrong with him.

"We need to get going, I'd like to get to Ecruteak _before _sundown." Nicole protested. "Alright." I said. "Wait, Ecruteak? My father lives there! We could go together, teehee!" Sasuka offered. I had to think it over. She seemed like a strong fighter, and probably a nice ray of sun. So I looked at the others for approval. Nicole seemed okay with it. Ethan smiled weirdly, but Michael still seemed upset. Huff, I didn't need his opinion anyway. "I think that's a great idea, Sasuka. After all, you know the road." I said. "Yes!" Sasuka chirped. She ran off in the direction of the gate. "Race you!" She shouted.

I was about to run off when Michael's paw gripping my tails held me back. "I don't think we should trust that girl." He warned. "Why not? She seems nice." I argued. "You don't understand! I…I had a dream, ok. And I swear I saw her in my dream, heard her talk about getting rid of the Chosen One. I don't think she's on 'our team'!" Michael whispered. By now, Nicole was running behind Sasuka, and Ethan pathetically slithering sluggishly behind them.

"Look, Michael," I started. "I know your dreams are special. But you can't let yourself be guided by them. Have free will! I'm sure we can trust Sasuka. There's something about her that makes me feel nice." I finished. Michael paused before letting me go. He smiled and we both ran, exiting the dark cemetery and into the bright sunshine.

We reached Ecruteak faster than I'd imagined. There wasn't much civilization. The biggest building I could see was a tall wooden tower so old it looked as if it wouldn't withstand a gust of wind. It seemed kind of damaged. The tower had glowing orbs on all sides, swaying back and forth. I could only guess they were bells.

Wait.

The Bell Tower? Impossible! The Bell Tower had been old even when I was alive. But for it to have survived all of these years? It was remarkable, incredible, wonderful. However, where the Brass Tower used to be, where the Burned Tower once was, there was nothing but patches of flowers. There were a few metal doors on the ground that I guessed were entrances to underground lairs, like in Veilstone. The place was in ruins and covered in snow. There was an uneasy quiet. "This is Ecruteak? What happened to it…?" I asked, amazed. "Well, if my teacher knew what the heck she was talking about, this place was bombarded like two hundred years ago. Nobody bothered to rebuild it, but now this serves as a colony for rebels, like me! Welcome to the Ecruteak Colony!" Sasuka chanted.

But our little tour was interrupted by a loud noise coming from the Bellchime Trail. "Father!" Sasuka yelled. She took off in the direction of the sound, and we had no choice but to follow her.

The snow melted underneath my feet and above my body. Not a droplet could get near me. My belly was on fire. My heart was pumping as blood spilled on the snow, tainting the white red. Another cruel laugh was heard and another demand was spoken. But we hid like cowards. I felt like a damn coward, hiding behind the walls of the tower and witnessing the scene. Sasuka seemed to be on the brink of tears, but even she knew she wouldn't last long.

There he was. A face I'd wanted to forget. Long, purple tail, white humanoid body, and soulless black eyes he had. He met my gaze and released his grip on the old Absol's horn. "It's been some time, Amber." He spat. "Ready for a rematch?"

"Bring it on, Mewtwo."

**CLIFFHANGER! Yep. **

**I'm SO sorry for taking so long. BUT! The Tales of the Reborn is ready to read! Remember OC owners: write the one-shots/two-shots! You will be supporting this fic by giving me more free time to write it. Thank you in advance! **

**So yeah, I took my break way too seriously. I took the time to start a Platinum I got for Christmas (it's like, my fourth one) and I took the liberty of adapting some of the pokémon from this fic into my in-game team. That's right!**

**Platinum Team: **

**Ninetales, Lucario, Delcatty (she PWNS with her Swords Dance and Double Edge), Lopunny, Electivire, and Mismagius. I know, no flying type. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO RUN AROUND SINNOH WITHOUT FLY? One word can describe it perfectly: Hell. **

**Alright, I'll get working on the Tales of the Reborn: Amber's and Morty's stories and then I'll work on chapter twelve. By the way, I changed Amber's human form from the one in chapter two, so check it out whenever you can. **

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	13. Come Forth, Chosen One!

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Twelve

Come Forth, Chosen One!

"Bring it on, Mewtwo." I said as I sprung from my hiding place and crouched, ready to face my nemesis. He scowled. There was a long, X-like scar on his chest; the one Hoja had left him with his Leaf Blade not too long ago.

Behind him laid another Absol numb and bruised, but still breathing. He seemed too old to even fight back. Sasuka quietly snuck her way to him and dragged him somewhere safe by biting down lightly on his horn and walking backwards.

Mewtwo kept his eyes on me, as if examining me. Then he turned to look at Nicole and Michael still hiding behind the tower. As soon as he did I barked to get his attention. "What are you doing here?" I growled. He crossed his arms. "I'm on an important job that is none of your business, little Vulpix." He said calmly. "Now leave, I have important matters with this Absol everyone calls 'great'." He said. "No, you don't. Not as long as I have something to do about it!" I yelled.

That did it. Mewtwo created a ball of shadows and tossed it at me. I successfully countered it with Wide Slash, making it dissolve before it hit me. But Mewtwo took the time to lunge at me with incredible speed. He stopped abruptly and thrust his tail forward. I managed to jump up quickly, but I found out he'd been aiming for a tree when the trunk snapped and it began to fall forward. I was still in mid-jump when it fell on me.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I found out only the snowy canopy had fallen harmlessly on me. But I didn't think Mewtwo knew that. I heard him chuckle. "Hey, that was easy." He said. "AH! You bastard!" I heard Michael shout. I peaked and saw him pounce on Mewtwo with Bullet Punch. "Just who do you think you are?" He shouted angrily as he repeatedly struck Mewtwo in the face with Bullet Punch. The attack was too fast for the genetic pokémon to counter. Nicole shot Water Pulse at the psychic type.

I broke out of the leaves and attacked with Faint Attack. Mewtwo managed to get Michael away from him, but he couldn't evade Nicole's assault. I struck him in his belly with my sure-hit attack. Psychic energy wrapped around us and we were all flung against the tower. I was hit pretty hard. "You are no match for me! Your quantity advantage doesn't matter!" He yelled. He threw his arms in the air and created a blue sphere imbued with aura. He blasted it at us, and we tried to counter the best way we could. I created Energy Ball, Nicole shot Water Pulse, and Michael fired Hidden Power. The two orbs and the bubbles collided with Mewtwo's Aura Sphere. But the fighting type attack was stronger and surpassed our moves. I jumped in the way of the move and got hit, receiving more damage than my friends. The blow sent pain through my entire body and I crashed on the snow. Nicole's knees buckled; she'd received a bit of the attack as well. But Michael was okay. He gritted his teeth. "Who…who are you?" He seethed. "Incoherent child, don't you know history? Let me give you a quick review. I am General Mewtwo, Biomegas's right hand, destroyer and conqueror of cities, the immortal menace! And she, the one you call Amber, is my old enemy." Mewtwo said, pointing with his round finger at me. I tried to stand up and bark at him, but my insides hurt. "Or am I wrong, _Sophia_?"

It went so quiet you could hear a needle fall.

"How…How do you know my name?" I growled. We locked eyes. "I thought I deserved to know who my opponent had been after I killed you. So I found out. And thinking back on when I saw you at Veilstone, I realized I never forget a voice." He explained. He was right. I'd never noticed, but my voice hadn't changed from my human one. I still talked the same. In the mean time, Mewtwo's left fist had been collecting electricity. He lunged at me with Thunder Punch. He underestimated me. When he was just a second away from me, I sprung up, breathed deeply, and fired my intense Flamethrower. I impacted his chest. His eyes widened and he tried to withstand the attack, and since his arm was still free he struck me, but he was eventually blown back.

The fire melted a whole row of snow. He knocked his head on a tree and snow fell on him. He flinched as he traced his scar, which was starting to bleed. I got up again against my groaning muscles. I panted heavily. "He's not an ordinary opponent." Michael whispered. "No kidding." I muttered. He put his arm under me and helped me up. But I dropped as soon as I stood. Electricity coursed through my body. "You're paralyzed." Nicole realized. Paralysis felt terrible. I could even feel the world in slow-motion. My breathing was heavier, and moving a single muscle was too difficult. Nicole's tail began to glow and she started to swing it back and forth, like a bell. A chime emitted from her body, a gentle and soothing chime. Suddenly I could feel my legs. The electricity left. I became fully mobile again. What was that? "My heal bell can cure all status problems. I'm glad I know it." Nicole said smugly.

"Alright, no more fooling around." Mewtwo groaned as he propelled himself up with his elbows. "You want to play rough? I'll give you rough. Time to kick it up a notch." He said. He winked quickly and disappeared, leaving nothing but purple dust. "What the Hell?" I muttered. "He fled?" Nicole asked. "No…it's Teleport!" Michael shouted, making all of us gasp. Suddenly Mewtwo materialized from purple dust behind him and struck him with Ice Punch. Michael hadn't been ready for that blow, and his frail body was tossed across the area. Nicole wasted no time in tackling the genetic pokémon with her strongest move, Double-Edge. He flinched only momentarily and tried to grab her by the tail but I focused on my darkest thoughts and shot the rings of Dark Pulse at him. He sidestepped and the move only caught his shoulder.

Mewtwo raised his wrist to his mouth and I realized there was a communicator attached to it. "Minion, it is time for you to support me in battle." He said. I was helping Nicole recover from the recoil. '_Sure thing, General.' _The voice on the other end said. Mewtwo nodded and pressed a red button on the machine. Before our eyes, metal started to extend from the artifact, running up his arm, shoulder, chest and the rest of his torso until he was in full armor. A robotic black helmet covered his face, though his eyes were exposed. I doubted it was the same armor he'd worn at Veilstone, because I clearly remembered it falling to pieces in battle.

Mewtwo chuckled. "You didn't think I'd come here unarmed, did you?" He asked mockingly. We said nothing. Mewtwo raised his arm and shot lightning from it. It was a weak wave of electricity I identified as Thunder Wave. Knowing of his intentions to paralyze us, I focused really hard to let energy course through my body until it expanded into the large pink shield known as Safeguard. Thunder Wave bounced harmlessly off the surface and disintegrated. Mewtwo groaned and lunged, but with no move prepared. I was ready to deflect whatever he had in store with my Wide Slash, until he was abruptly held back. He struggled against whatever had its grip on his tail.

I heard the metal armor screech, as if the part on his tail was falling apart. Or ripped apart, for what I saw. "What is this?" Mewtwo spat as he turned around sharply, swinging his tail back and forth, dragging Sasuka in the snow. Her glowing fangs were clamped down pretty deep on his tail, breaking through the armor and drawing blood. "Grrrr," She growled as she refused to let go in spite of his flailing. We took the opportunity to strike with a combined Faint Attack. But Mewtwo's armor was too strong for us to even scratch it. He retaliated by swinging his arm and sending Nicole to the floor, but he missed me. I climbed on to his head. Fire ignited in my belly and I made it circulate to my paws instead of my throat. I felt all four heat up intensely, transferring the heat to his helmet in an attempt to break it. I saw how the metal started to turn red.

Mewtwo shook me off when he felt it. He swung his tail upward and ended up flinging Sasuka. She screamed as she fell from the sky, face-flat on the snow. "I'm okay!" She chirped, although a little muffled by the snow. We had two of us down. I looked at Nicole struggling to get up, and noticed her neck was bare. I panicked.

Where had Ethan gone? He'd been with us when we'd arrived at the scene, but I hadn't seen him since the fight had started. I wondered where he'd gone. Now that I thought about it, I'd never seen Ethan fight. Maybe he'd been a coward all along.

A jab to the back snapped me out of my thoughts. Mewtwo picked me up with ease and we locked eyes. His cruel black orbs shimmered. It was then that I realized what he was actually looking at. I gasped as he gripped the black string that hung around my neck. He tugged on it, and that triggered an instant Energy Ball from me. He was hit right in the face but he didn't let me go, though he did remove his hand. "Give it to me." He demanded in a hoarse voice. I growled. "Take it, then." I said. He seemed surprised for a second but he gripped the black string and carefully slid his fingers near the bright green jewel. I wasn't stupid. I knew what would happen. As soon as he grasped the Insect Plate with his unprotected hand, he hissed and immediately flinched. He dropped me and groaned in pain, holding his burnt hand with the other. "Argh! What…what was that power?" He shouted angrily. "The Plate has picked me, Mewtwo. And only I can touch it." I said. His scowl deepened. "Then I'll bring you back to the castle with me and force you to work for us! I've gone through Hell to find the Plates, and I'm not stopping now because of you!" He roared. I tackled him with Faint Attack and he stroke back with hundreds of dazzling stars. His Swift attack could not be evaded, but I managed to deflect some of the sharp stars with Wide Slash.

Mewtwo and I kept clashing with the same moves for what felt like hours. My friends were all defeated. I took a second to check if Michael was okay. He slowly started to open his eyelids and I grinned. "Amber…!" He shouted in warning. I turned around to see Mewtwo had uprooted a tree with Psychic. He flung it at me, but I was too stunned to move.

Like a miracle, a large purple tail slashed through the whole tree, splitting it in perfect halves. There I stood, stunned, as the tail retracted into the ground. Something moved underground towards the equally shocked Mewtwo. Then a hole appeared in front of him, and quick as the blink of an eye, an Arbok shot up from it. It was very fast, and it proceeded to attack Mewtwo by using its whole body to trap him in a tight Bind. Arbok hissed, sticking out his forked tongue as he squeezed harder, trying to shatter Mewtwo's armor. "Ssssorry for being tardy, my lady! I had a few matterssss to take care of!" Arbok hissed, flashing me a smile, revealing the bracers in his fangs.

Now, who did I know that talked with multiple 's's and wore bracers? I understood now, that the Ekan's I'd known had evolved. Ethan was an Arbok! "Lissssten here, bud, one wrong move and you're hisssstory." Ethan hissed at Mewtwo, his brand new orange eyes focused on the armor. I knew his goal was to break it. "I already am a large part of history, numskull. Release me!" The psychic type demanded, wriggling and struggling against Ethan's powerful new body. "Nope." Ethan said.

I grinned. It was a perfect chance for me to strike without being interrupted. So I closed in and shot a narrow Flamethrower so that I could hit Mewtwo's face without harming Ethan. Successfully, Mewtwo's helmet/mask started to melt because of the flames, and Ethan was unharmed. He roared and glared daggers at me. "I will have your blood, Amber!" He bellowed. I glared up at him and stuck my tongue out. Then I ran to see Michael trying to stand up. I let him put an arm around me to help him up. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Yes, I'm fine." He replied. He took of his bag and scarf and placed them neatly against the Bell Tower. He brushed some snow off of him and glared at Mewtwo. "Way to go, Ethan!" He chirped. "Enough! Minion!" Mewtwo called angrily, his eyes turning neon blue and psychic energy wrapping around us. We were flung against a tree, but Michael used some kind of technique with Bullet Punch to gain speed and haul me up the tree before we could slam against the trunk.

The snowy bushes rustled. I heard footsteps. A man clad in a black army uniform and a big riffle tied to his back walked out. It was the same man I'd fought at the cemetery, only now he looked more professional. He had bright red eyes that seemed to glow, and spiky hair so grey it looked like steel. He was muscular, handsome I guess, and had tons of other weapons like daggers and guns strapped to his legs for easy access. I didn't actually imagine this guy as friendly. "General Mewtwo, I am sorry for the delay." He said in a deep voice. "Cut the crap and free me!" Mewtwo shouted. Ethan snapped his jaw open and bared his sharp fangs at the man, hissing. Then fire rose from his throat, and Ethan fired a Flamethrower. It was impressive, to see a pokémon use the same move I knew. I assumed he'd learned it from me.

The man just chuckled and shot a tiny ball at the flames. Water exploded from the round object and doused Flamethrower, neutralizing the attack. Then he held up a shotgun. "Just stay perfectly still!" He shouted. My eyes widened and I couldn't stay silent anymore. I jumped down from the tree onto the man's head and began clawing his face. He got angry, and tried to get me off. Then I heard the gunfire.

I hesitantly looked, and my eyes widened. Ethan was down, red spots staining the snow. Mewtwo was free. He removed what was left of his helmet and closed his eyes, breathing deeply in an attempt to relax. He met eyes with the minion and smirked. "Good aim, Nexus. I knew a sharpshooter would be useful." Mewtwo commented. The man named Nexus grabbed me roughly in his big, cold hand and threw me onto the ground, aiming his riffle at me. "Give the order, General, and I will open fire." Nexus said. I was too stunned to move out of the way. My mind was still trying to process the fact that Ethan was dead. How would Canella take the news? She wouldn't like them, considering Ethan was a close friend.

I saw Mewtwo hang his head and cross his arms. "Hold fire. We need her." He said. Nexus grunted and put away the riffle behind his back. Psychic energy wrapped around me and I was lifted up to meet Mewtwo's gaze. "I swear we will be rid of these abominations." He said, staring at the Insect Plate. "I hate you." I spat. "The feeling is mutual." He replied with a nonchalant expression. "Alright, you're the boss." Nexus said, digging around his pockets. He brought out what he'd been looking for. He threw a silver net at me, and once I was entangled in it I felt thousands of electric shocks around my body. The net enlarged and turned into a small cage of steel and electric bars. I tried to break free, but I flinched as soon my paw came in contact with the bars. I was hopelessly trapped, like a beast. Nexus picked up the cage by a handle and poked my forehead mockingly, his finger unaffected by the electricity. "You are where you belong, mutt." He said, chuckling. "I have one last thing to do. Make sure the ship is ready for immediate take off. I still have to speak to the prophet." Mewtwo said, saying the last word with hatred, snapping his fingers dismissively.

Mewtwo turned his head in all directions, probably looking for the old Absol. Instead, he set his eyes on the defeated younger one. He gritted his teeth. "I guess I'll have the next best thing." He said. He grabbed her horn and yanked her up angrily. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" Sasuka complained. "Tell me, Absol, where do you keep it?" Mewtwo questioned. Sasuka looked him straight in the eye, fear present on her face. "Um…where do we keep what?" She asked. Mewtwo shook her. "The Plate! Tell me where you have the Spooky Plate!" He bellowed. So he was after the Spooky Plate! I should've figured as much. But now I was trapped in a cage, unable to escape. I didn't think that I'd get far if I managed to escape anyway, considering Nexus's good aim. I'd probably end up like red pudding.

Sasuka's eyes told me she was denying everything. Mewtwo kept asking, but she said she didn't know. "_Immo noli__obliqua,__Sasuka__!" _A gruff, ancient voice warned in another language. Our eyes widened as an old, beat up Absol stepped out from behind the tower. His eyes were a dark purple. His fur and skin were of normal colors, unlike Sasuka. A medalion with a gold and silver ying-yang design hung by his neck and he wore all sorts of beads around his legs. "It is I you want, Mewtwo. Leave my daughter alone." He said, coughing. "Fine then, old pokemon. Tell me where is the Spooky Plate." Mewtwo said. Absol coughed. "Unhand Sasuka first, and I, Anton Misfortune, shall tell you everything you wish to know." The Great Absol said. "Father, don't." Sasuka begged. "Mewtwo! When I get out of here I'm turning you into ashes!" I shouted, outraged. He glared at me.

Nexus shook the cage, making me crash against the bars and get electrocuted. "Minion, take the Vulpix to the ship, we'll be leaving soon. Oh, and prepare the bomb while I'm done here." Mewtwo instructed, looking at me. Nexus nodded and turned his back on the scene. And I was paralyzed, unable to shout back at Mewtwo, unable to tell Michael to come down and fight.

_**Michael**_

I really didn't know what to do. That big man took Amber away inside and electric cage, and I couldn't go after him. His weapons were too powerful. I'd never seen anything like them. I was horrified, and silently praying for a miracle. Nicole was out-cold, her skin turning a faint blue, freezing. Ethan laid lifeless in a small pool of blood. I just couldn't believe he was dead. I wanted to avenge him. So I had to make a decision: stay, fight Mewtwo, and protect Nicole, Sasuka and Anton, or go after Nexus, rescue Amber, and avenge Ethan. I was getting a mayor headache. My mind told me to stay, my heart told me to go. I was in a knot.

What would Amber do? She'd do the right thing. And right now, the right thing was stopping Mewtwo from getting the Spooky Plate. I had to stop him. I looked back in the direction Nexus had gone and sighed. I leapt from the tree, landing in the snow and glaring daggers at Mewtwo. He didn't seem to notice me, which was good. I managed to grab my scarf, and once I did I wrapped it carefully around Nicole's neck, trying to keep her warm.

"Very well, Mewtwo. I shall oblige. But as soon as I do, you will leave Ecruteak and never return. Do we have a deal?" Anton asked in his gruff voice. Mewtwo put Sasuka down gently. She crashed on the snow, face-flat. "We do. Now, where is it?" Mewtwo asked sternly. "The Spooky Plate lies at the top of the Bell Tower, forever concealed inside a shrine." The Great Absol said, his expression blank. "Top of the tower? Sounds easy!" Mewtwo said, placing his fist inside the other. "Wait, you are not seeking to find it, are you?" Anton asked, shocked. "Of course I am. My lord has commanded me to find and destroy all the Plates, so that his empire may last for eternity." Mewtwo stated. "Biomegas's so called 'great empire' shall fall! For only the Chosen One may bring out the Plate!" Anton yelled angrily. Mewtwo raised an arm and prepared a Shadow Ball. The Great Absol wasn't fazed in the least of the psychic type's reaction and turned his eyes to me. "_Rescata a tu amiga, o fallecerá, como lo he previsto. Si no, habran sufrido por nada." _He said to me in Spanish, gesturing with his head to Nicole and Ethan. I understood. He wanted me to save Amber above all things, or she would be killed. I nodded, before Mewtwo saw me by the corner of his eye. He turned around sharply to fire Shadow Ball at me, but I used Quick Attack and fled. I would've shouted: "Kiss my blue ass, Mewtwo!" But I really didn't want to get him angrier.

I dashed through the snow as fast as my legs could handle. I stumbled across a large vehicle. It was a cross between a jet and a flying saucer, I couldn't quite explain. It was black and big, enough to hold an army of five thousand Caterpie. I saw Nexus open a hatch and enter the ship with Amber screeching and rampaging inside the cage. I waited until he was fully inside to make my way over there. Carefully, I tried to be as quiet as possible as my feet touched the cold steel. The hatch began to close automatically, making me fall on my butt inside the ship. Thank goodness, I made no sound. I followed the big man until he violently tossed Amber's cage to some corner. She was thrown against the electric bars and yelped in pain. "You could at least try to be gentle." She complained. "I could, but that is not what I have been told to do." Nexus replied in an apoligizing tone, which was odd.

Amber shifted her eyes and they landed on me. She blinked twice; maybe she thought I was an illusion. But I waved to her and she gasped, but immediatly took her eyes off me to look at Nexus. I understood she meant to keep me secret. I sidestepped and hid behind a crate. Nexus grabbed a box and opened it, looking around. "You must be hungry," He began. He pulled out a couple of Spelon berries. "Eat these." He said, slipping the berries between the bars of the cage. Amber looked at them, confused. I was confused too. "Do not worry, they are ordinary berries, not toxic." Nexus reassured. "...Why are you giving me these?" Amber asked, wary. "Fire abilities are weak when the user has an empty stomach. Your Flamethrower was not strong enough to melt all of Mewtwo's armor. You are hungry." Nexus stated. Amber still wouldn't touch either Spelon.

I found odd that Nexus was doing this. Hadn't he just killed Ethan? There was something fishy going on. Amber reluctanly sniffed one of the red berries before licking it. She took a few seconds, probably judging if it tasted right, and then bit down. She ate quietly, refusing to meet Nexus's gaze, nor mine.

I wasn't quite sure on how I would execute this rescue. I couldn't possibly carry the cage out. It was too big for me, and the added weight of Amber totally scratched out the idea (by the way, I wasn't calling her _fat_). I'd need to find a key or something and get her out first. Then I'd need to take care of Nexus and his scary weapons. Coming from a village in the wilderness, I didn't know much of technology. The weapons I was used to were swords, spears, arrows, those kinds of things. But weapons that killed instantly? Never heard of them.

Amber exhaled fire, something she did often, which creeped me out every single time. "Where are you taking me?" She asked Nexus. "After General Mewtwo gets the Spooky Plate, we will set course for the Omega Castle, far away from here." Nexus replied. He was fixating some buttons that seemed important. "Great. I'm screwed." Amber huffed. "No," Nexus said calmly. "If lord Biomegas deams you useful, you shall be safe. Like what happened to me, for example. I was just a normal human, until General Mewtwo came along." Nexus said, tone serious. He pulled down a lever and I felt the engine of the massive ship roar to life. Amber tilted her head in curiosity, urging the red-eyed man to continue. "He made me see I could be strong, but I was weak. Years later, I died of illness. But then, I was made into this." Nexus said, facing her. He grabbed his wrist with his other hand and _took it off. _I flinched and Amber even jumped, thinking there would be a bloody mess. But no, the man threw the fake hand to the floor only to reveal that instead of a left hand, his arm ended with a plasma cannon. "You're a cyborg." Amber remarked. "Yes. Half human, half robot. They reconstructed me. Because of that, I believe that whoever joins us can survive." The cyborg claimed.

I was shocked. It was beyond belief. At first Nexus had seemed like a normal evil guy; I'd never imagined him to be such a thing as a cyborg. "You will be happy once you are one of us." Nexus said. Amber growled. "No! I'm not like you! I have my own goals! Remember this, tin brain, I won't surrender to Biomegas. I didn't before, I died to be free, and I will endure again." She barked. I would've clapped, but stealth was vital. Nexus sighed. "Believe what you must. But sooner or later everyone shall fall, exactly like the ruins of this city once we use our bomb." Nexus replied calmly. For the first time, Amber couldn't reply. It was a real shocker to me, to see the girl who always barked back stay quiet. He must've struck a nerve.

Silence filled the ship. Nexus brought out a cable and attached it to his plasma-cannon-hand. I assumed it was some kind of charger. He sat down on the pilot's leather chair and closed his eyes, still unaware of my presence. I took the chance to walk on my tiptoes in the search for a key. Amber's eyes shifted nervously between me and the resting cyborg, keeping watch. I tried not to make a single sound. The ship was wide and nearly empty, which made it hard for me to hide. Amber preoccupied herself by eating the second Spelon berry, pretending I wasn't there, like a professional. Everything she did had always made me think. The way she battled, how she talked, how she treated us, how she treated strangers, and how she always endured amazed me. I'd never met such a pokémon, and I wasn't talking about her species. She couldn't have possibly learned all that from her hatching. It was noticeable that she gained all of those traits from a prior life. She was the definition of _reborn_. I wondered if I'd be reborn if anything ever happened to me. But, as Nicole had told me, I'd be a human in a second life. I really, really, really, had no desire to be human. I liked being a small and strong Riolu.

My eyes planted themselves on a small steel disc hanging by Nexus's belt. The color of the disc matched the cage's coloring, so I figured I'd just found the key. Getting near the cyborg was the easy part. Taking the disc without him noticing would be the hard part, considering I could barely reach. I grabbed the disc carefully, beginning to tug on it. Nexus didn't notice. I kept tugging harder every time. I realized that if I wanted it, I had to cut it loose.

Although I didn't use them much, I'd need my claws. My species wasn't known for claws. Some people didn't even know we had them, but they were hidden in the fur of our paws. I pressed my left paw with my right one slightly and my tiny, yet sharp, black claws extended. I carefully reached for the belt, now standing on my tiptoes. With one slash of all three claws, the disc fell. I panicked, as it would make a noise, but managed to catch it just before it hit the floor. Once I had it I ran to the cage silently. I was pretty proud of myself as I inserted the disc into the keyhole. Amber stood up, eyeing me as the electricity dispersed. However, my bubble of success was burst when the cage made a beep as it opened.

I'd never been known for my luck. Nexus sprung up at the sound, eyes immediately landing on us. "Oh shit," Was all I could say before Nexus disconnected his cable and charged up his cannon. A greenish light charged up inside it, and I _really _didn't want to find out how it would look once it fired. Amber had quick reflexes and prepared Safeguard. The pink barrier formed around us and nullified the green sizzling sphere that was shot at us. Nexus grabbed his arm and fixated with some settings before the light of his charging cannon became blue. "Let's beat it." I said. I yanked Amber by her hair and we began to run. A blue blast of energy headed toward me but I sidestepped and it melted a piece of the ground like acid.

We reached the hatch, but it was sealed shut. Nexus kept firing his blue plasma blasts, and Amber's Safeguard was starting to crack like glass. "Step back," Amber instructed me. I took a few steps away from Amber but still within the range of the barrier. She faced the hatch and breathed out intense flames. I could feel the heat from where I stood. She kept her mouth open for minutes, spewing fire, but the hatch remained intact. She stopped and coughed abruptly, panting. "I c-can't; d-damn t-thing is f-fireproof." She panted out. "Out of breath, are you? You should have stayed in your cage." Nexus said, now standing behind us. He punched the pink barrier and it shattered easily. "S-sorry, Michael." Amber said. No, I wasn't going to be captured. I wasn't going to let her get taken away.

I was surprised at the speed of my own actions. I don't know what move it had been, but a horrible sound emitted from my mouth, so terrible it hurt the cyborg's ears. He held his head in his hand, smoke beginning to come from his ears. Amber was suffering from my sudden scream, too. Nexus short-circuited and fell back. "G-gah, m-malfunctioning, m-malfunctioning…" He repeated robotically. "I w-will get y-you f-for this!" He yelled angrily. I closed my mouth and the place went silent once more. I kicked the hatch over and over again until the metal, weakened by Amber's Flamethrower earlier, budged and broke. Amber was still recoiling from my attack, so I just dragged her out into the snow.

We escaped; running as fast as our legs could carry, getting away from the cyborg. But when we reached the previous battlefield, nobody remained.

_**Nicole**_

I could deal without those two. I was fine by my own, because I was independent, able to fight alone.

…Or at least, that's what I wanted to think. The truth was: everyone needs a little help once in a while. Here's the dilemma, as I climbed up the ancient tower, I met up with the foulest ghost type pokémon. I got attacked by Haunter, Duskull, and Gastly. The Gastly reminded me of that nerdy friend of Amber's. His name was Shadow, right? But those Gastly were nothing like him: they were mean, cold, strong, and sadistic. I wasn't good at battling ghost types, given normal attacks couldn't affect them, and vice-versa (which was an advantage for me). Thank goodness my ability wasn't Normalize, or else all of my attacks would've failed.

Mewtwo was much ahead of me, although he was having more trouble with the ghosts than me. "What's the hurry?" and "Get out of here!" were the usual things they screamed at him. A Haunter appeared in front of him and punched him roughly. Mewtwo fought back and with a single Psychic defeated the ghost type. We were climbing up some ancient stairs, and he was like twenty steps ahead of me. The old steps creaked underneath my feet, threatening to break. They looked charred, as if this place had caught fire. In fact, the whole tower seemed charred. It had been a big fire, then.

I'd regained consciousness right after Mewtwo had broken into the tower. Sasuka and her father were already at the top of the tower, having used a special teleportation device they had, which made me think about Mewtwo's special move: Teleport. The reason he didn't just teleport to the top of the tower, was because, apparently, Teleport can't get you anywhere you haven't been before. Mewtwo had been frustrated when he realized that. He'd decided to climb up the whole tower himself. So, that is what had placed me in this situation. With Amber and Michael gone, I had no option but to stop Mewtwo by myself, climbing up all of the nine exhausting floors in an attempt to catch up with him. He was much faster, which was pretty annoying, and he'd had a head start.

I reached the eight floor. There were glowing yellow panels spread across certain areas, wooden bridges instead of corridors, and small ramps creating different paths. I decided the Bell Tower's inside had been built to prevent intruders. Mewtwo was still ahead of me, heading toward a yellow panel. He eyed it curiously. Once he took a step in, he spun around and disappeared. My eyes widened as he reappeared on another yellow panel across the room, but far away from the stairs. They were teleportation panels, like the ones Canella had at her secret base. Mewtwo kept trying several of them, but not once did he get to the stairs. I took the opportunity to advance myself. Instead of stepping into a panel, I jumped a ramp. Then I jumped the one that followed, and the one followed, and the one that followed, before stepping onto another area connected to another with a wooden bridge.

There was no time to be cautious. I ran over the wooden bridge, even though it was charred and weak. It creaked for every step I took. One weak plank even broke beneath my paw, but I'd been too fast to fall. Finally, I got to the other side, sneezing because of the dust. I was standing in front of the old pillar, creaking pillar.

The place was really, really, really, old. And I wasn't just talking about decades. It had to be like nine or ten centuries to be in the condition it was. Even so, the tower was firm. It must've been fixed and cared for often, or else it would crumble if even the tiniest Pidgey landed on its roof. The ancient smell of soot was nauseating. The statues that stood on every corner were extremely damaged; so much that the pokémon they were supposed to represent was beyond recognition. Although, I could identify it had wings, even though they were scratched and cracked.

I walked behind the pillar and found a yellow panel. Taking a look, I saw Mewtwo had at least reached a corridor of ramps. I had to hurry. I stepped onto the yellow panel and felt the whole room spinning and my body dissolving. It wasn't painful; I couldn't explain the feeling of dissolving. It was like, not able to feel your body at all. I materialized again on a different area and stepped out of the panel. I'd been teleported across the entire room, the ladder that lead to the last floor now visible to me. "Yay," I cheered to myself as I ran toward them, only to discover another set of ramps. _Piece of cake_, I thought. _Just a few jumps. _

It turned out harder than I'd thought. I'd picked the wrong ramps and ended up in dead-end. I kept taking more and more ramps, until finally; I stepped onto the area with the ladder. The ladder was black like charcoal. As soon as I placed one paw on it, dust flew everywhere. I could feel how weak it was. I had to climb that thing all the way up? The last floor was like twenty feet away! But I had to do it; Mewtwo was already taking the ramps I'd just passed. Hastily, I hooked all of paws on the ladder and began ascending. It could barely support my weight. Hence, I didn't think it would hold Mewtwo. I had to get to the top before he did. But what would I do once I got there? Block the entrance? Destroy the ladder? I couldn't actually stop him from reaching the ninth floor.

I reached the end of the ladder, Mewtwo beginning to climb it. As soon as I stepped onto the wooden floor Sasuka ran to me. "Quick, quick!" She rushed me. I ran with her to reach an old shrine. There was a big stone statue of a big bird pokémon with its large wings spread and its beak wide open as if it were attacking. The statues on the corners of the room were much similar, except for the size and position of the pokémon they represented. Those were the same statues as the ones in the lower floors, only that these were in neat condition. Two candles were lit on either side of the big bird statue and the smell of incense filled the air. The Great Absol was sitting back on his hind legs facing the shrine, praying in some other language I thought was ancient Latin. "Father, what do we do, what do we do?" Sasuka asked frantically. "We cannot stop Mewtwo from reaching the sacred shrine." He replied. I gritted my teeth. "We can! You guys are dark types; you have the advantage over Mewtwo! We can fight him off." I said. Absol sighed.

"What you say is true. But alas, Mewtwo is too powerful and type advantage alone will not be enough. We need a force stronger or equal to the genetic pokémon." He said and coughed. "Erm…we could push him off a window." Sasuka suggested nervously. "No, that will not work. I have decided that I must summon…" He didn't get to finish. "Well, well, so this is the last floor. At last, I can complete my mission." Mewtwo's angry voice interrupted. Sasuka yelped and hid behind me. "What the Hell?" I whispered to her.

Mewtwo walked past me and Sasuka, panting. I blinked in confusion. Didn't he want to fight? "Hey! You're supposed to fight!" I barked at him. He didn't even turn to look at me. "I can't waste my time with you." He said. I was greatly offended. My eye was twitching. He hastily looked around, turning over every object in the shrine, even the statue itself. He growled when he found nothing, slamming down the statue and blowing out the candles. "Where is it! You said it was here, old man!" Mewtwo screamed, outraged, grabbing the Great Absol by his horn. The old pokémon bared his fangs and winced. "Leave my father alone, you big meanie!" Sasuka shouted suddenly. Faster than light, her fangs hooked around Mewtwo's arm, making him drop the other Absol. "Ah!" Mewtwo winced and flailed his arms, trying to shake her off.

His tail was unarmored. I didn't have any biting attacks, so I'd need perfect accuracy to hit such a wriggly target. I focused the water of my body and my thoughts into my mouth and created a blue sphere. Then I shot my Water Pulse at Mewtwo, hoping to get a good hit. Of course, I was accurate. I followed my attack with my Double-Edge, tackling Mewtwo's armored back. He fell forward. We thought we had him. He was defeated.

I was wrong.

"Enough!" Mewtwo shouted. A strange force blew us all against the walls, slamming hard. I was still suffering from Double-Edge's recoil. Visible purple aura radiated from Mewtwo's body as he groaned and struggled to get up. "Enough…I've had enough…" He said, his voice hoarse and metallic. "For the love of Mesprit…" Anton gasped. "W-what's wrong, father?" Sasuka asked. "That energy…his level exceeds over the limit? How…how can it be?" Anton trembled, speaking to himself. What exactly did that old coot mean by 'exceeds over the limit'?

Mewtwo stood up, his feet hovering above the floor. He abruptly jabbed the shrine and tore it to pieces as if were made of glass. He used Psychic to remove the debris, spreading it everywhere, as if looking for something. He found nothing and turned to look at Anton. "The Spooky Plate is not here. I'm leaving." He spat. His new deep voice freaked me out. Sasuka and I sighed in relief, although a big frown presented on the elder's face.

He looked at me. Mewtwo took a step forward in the air. "But I will have your blood first."

* * *

_**Amber**_

The Bell Tower was more damaged than I remembered. I recalled I had come up here when I was human; trying to bring back the rainbow pokémon that never appeared to me. The memory was fresh in mind; how the pillar shook from the weight of the upper floors, how the mazes were exhausting, how Rattata and Gastly ran everywhere, how you could hear the soft chimes of bells throughout the tower. But now as I climbed it for the second time, it felt empty. I didn't feel the spark of challenge inside me. I felt sorry for the old tower.

I think the hardest thing to do was climb the weak ladder to the top. Michael had no trouble with that, having arms. But I had to do some incredible stunts to climb it, having four legs and no arms. But once we arrived I knew it was time for action. We were silent, trying to avoid Mewtwo's clash with Nicole. She was bruised and beaten, but wouldn't stop fighting, wouldn't even dart her eyes away from her opponent. She even did more than one attack at once. She used Water Pulse while charging with Double-Edge, and it was pretty impressive, even though she was clearly showing off.

Visible purple aura radiated from Mewtwo's body. Michael's eyes seemed to be glued to the aura. He was still as a rock. "What's wrong?" I whispered. "It's so…painful! That aura is so strong it hurts!" He whispered back, a pained look on his face. I'd forgotten that Riolu could sense the aura in other beings, but not control it or use it. Michael could feel Mewtwo's aura's power. "Try to avoid it, Michael. You can do it." I whispered. His jaw clenched. He wouldn't remove his eyes. "I can't." He muttered. "Michael, look at me." I instructed. He slowly turned his head to me with great effort. His blue eyes bore into mine. I saw as the pain in his blue eyes went away until I saw only my own reflection in them. After a few seconds his pained face disappeared, and he shut his eyes. "I can avoid the aura." He told himself. "But, what is it, exactly?" I asked lowly. "It's some sort of power source. It's supplying Mewtwo with power, power beyond possible." Michael said, sounding unsure.

"It must be Biomegas's dark powers." I realized. I knew of the power Biomegas granted, and I had for a long time. I'd even owned pokémon possessed by that dark power, and even managed to purify some of them. I didn't know if the purification was still possible in the present. But could I try? Could I purify Mewtwo? I knew the process. But I really didn't feel like Mewtwo deserved any help. I snickered lowly and averted my eyes, which landed upon something laying on the ground among stone rubble. "Come on," I urged Michael. He followed behind me as we stealthily made our way across the room, avoiding the battlers. I saw Sasuka join in. Her speed was amazing; I couldn't keep track on her movements. First she was using Slash behind Mewtwo and then she was using Crunch on his arm. At least her hyper personality came in handy in combat.

I dug around the rubble trying to find what I'd seen. Suddenly my paw came in contact with something that didn't feel like debris. It was cold and stony. Dusting off all that remained, I saw what I'd touched. It was rectangular and of a dark purple color so faded it was almost grey, and had some strange markings at its borders. Finally, there was tiny Unown text written on it. My eyes widened as I realized what it was. It was the Spooky Plate.

The noise of the battle silenced. I slowly turned my head to see Mewtwo smirking wickedly in my direction, dropping Nicole to the floor. She growled and struggled to get up, but she wasn't in the condition to do so and collapsed. "Hand it over." Mewtwo said, pointing to the Plate. Anton shot up in alarm, mouth agape and eyes wide. "NO!" He yelled. The Insect Plate that hung around my neck began to glow, tugging me forward. It was chocking me so I had no option but to walk forward until the two Plates came in contact with each other. "Give it to me!" Mewtwo shouted angrily as he lunged forward, but I raised my Safeguard just in time to block him. It wouldn't hold him back for long. Anton sprung forward and I granted him access into my barrier. He stepped through it as if it were air, while Mewtwo still struggled against the hard surface.

"Oh, rejoice." Anton cheered. He put a paw on me and pushed me lightly away from the Plate. "The time has come to surrender my most valuable possession." He said, inhaling deeply and bowing. _"__Sit Arceus antiquus ordo reparari. Iam non erit protector tuus sum et offer defecit tu novam potentiam__. Veni, venias plurima fortitudo nova ad possessorem quem elegit vivificantem!"_ He recited in another language I didn't understand (although I had heard the exact same words being spoken when I'd received the Insect Plate). I watched with awe as the cold Plate began to shine, rising from the floor on its own. A black glow engulfed it, radiating not only cold but power as well. "Take the Spooky Plate in your power, little one." Absol said almost inaudibly. My ears weren't working right anyway. There was a weird feeling inside of me as I stepped forward and pressed my paw to the levitating Plate, its cold texture actually stronger than my great body heat. The two Plates interacted, glowing a combination of green and black. Then, the Spooky Plate shrunk down to the same size as the Insect Plate and appeared hanging by my necklace, as a bead next to the other.

"Damn you! Damn all of you!" Mewtwo shouted, outraged, before slamming down his wounded tail. The impact caused my barrier to crack and begin to slowly shatter. "Damn." Anton said. "What do we do?" Michael asked, nervous. "The only thing you youngsters _can _do is hide while I summon our last resort." Anton said. "Last resort?" I gasped. It couldn't be a good thing. Anton looked grim, but there was a slight glint of hope on his eyes. "Yes. Go. You are young and must survive and I am so old you cannot count my age. It is better that I stay. Please…take my daughter with you." He begged as the ying-yang medallion around his neck began to glow and the pattern began to spin. "I promise." I assured. Michael tugged on my tails. "Let's go." He urged. "Yeah." I agreed. My barrier shattered, and we jumped away in time to avoid Mewtwo's Shadow Ball.

Anton avoided the attack. He pressed his paws firmly against the rubble and shut his eyes. It was a good thing Mewtwo came after us, because Anton needed time to do whatever it was he needed to. We became cornered very soon against a large window. "If I can't have the Plate, I'll have your head." Mewtwo threatened. Michael's jaw clenched and my heart started racing. Anton started reciting in another language, multicolored light shimmering from the floor in the form of a circle. Sasuka and Nicole helped each other up and stared at us in horror. We kept backing up until we hit the window. Mewtwo smirked wickedly and raised his arms above his head. A bright blue sphere began to form between his hands. "This is it," Michael began. "We're done for." He finished. I felt his arm slide across my back. Unlike the last time he had done it, I let him. Mewtwo's purple aura mixed with Aura Sphere's and became one. A dark Aura Sphere? We wouldn't stand a chance. At least, not after all of the fighting. We were tattered, bruised and exhausted. I heard the loud and melodic chimes of bells throughout the tower as Anton chanted. Finally, with one last chuckle, Mewtwo shot the big, dark Aura Sphere. We were both impacted harshly, so hard we slammed onto the wall with so much force that it broke and we fell.

Michael hung on to me as we fell. His eyes were wide with horror, just like mine. A hundred foot below there was pointy rocks above the snow. It was it. It was over. For the second time, I thought I would die. I flailed, trying to grab on to something for dear life. But I couldn't. I saw the sky redden as a big rainbow formed above the apex of the tower. But the rainbow seemed to move, and it had the form of a huge winged creature. I shut my eyes and awaited the crash. But something in me resurfaced at that moment. _'This is not the end of you. It is not!' _The ancient voice in my head screamed.

My breath and my heartbeats synchronized. I didn't want to open my eyes. Then came the impact. Harsh, but the floor actually felt feathery and warm. I didn't feel my form shatter. I was…intact, except for the brutal pain in my spine and the blood that slid from the corner of my mouth. "_GYYYYYYYOOO!" _

"M-Mi…Michael…?" I slowly began to open my eyes. Michael's grip on my tails had loosened. "Michael?" I asked more clearly, coughing out tiny droplets of crimson blood onto an equally crimson material. Beneath my ears I heard large, loud heartbeats. Was the floor alive? It heaved up and down; breathing. "Amber…" Michael's voice called back. I sighed with relief. Though I could not see him, he sounded okay. "…We're…we're on a…pokémon." He said.

He was right. I took the chance to look at my surroundings, only to see the sky and the tower beside us. A pair of large, seven colored wings flapped gently. "_GYYYYYYOOOO!" _There was that loud cry again, for the second time. My eyes landed on the head of a pokémon with a large beak and golden crest. Then it hit me. The pokémon that had rescued us was none other than…the legendary rainbow, Ho-oh! "_GYYO! _How are you feeling, my child?" She asked in a serene, yet mighty, female voice. I gasped, but I couldn't reply. I was too shocked. "No need for an answer." Ho-oh said after a few seconds. "Feel free to grip tightly onto my feathers, this ride might get rough." She instructed. I struggled to do as she said, wrapping my injured paws around a bunch of her crimson feathers of her back. "Wait, what about Michael?" I asked, unsure if she'd know who I was talking about. "Are you referring to your Riolu friend? He must be behind you, my child." Ho-oh replied. "I'm…here, Amber." I heard Michael say. I didn't bother to look behind me; I knew he was there.

Ho-oh picked up speed. She flapped her wings faster, flying at incredible speed. The tower seemed to get smaller as we distanced. A rainbow emitted from Ho-oh's large tail like a trail all the way from the top of the Bell Tower. The beautiful chime of the bells could still be heard.

"Where are you taking us, mistress?" I asked, trying to sound respectful for the legendary pokémon. "_GYO! _When you were blown off the tower, you landed harshly against the jagged stones. But, the Plates protected you and your friend from harm. As you were unconscious, Mewtwo stole the necklace. I was summoned by the elder Absol. They boarded the ship, and now we must stop them before the Plates are lost forever." Ho-oh stated in her godly voice. My eyes widened and my paw flew to my neck, only to find it bare. My necklace had been taken. I needed to get it back from that bastard. "Do not worry, my lady, we shall get it back. For I too, wish for freedom. _GYYYYO!"_ Ho-oh cried as she picked up greater speed, flying faster than the wind. Had she just called me "my lady"? Why would Ho-oh, legendary pokémon considered a deity, address me respectfully? Don't get me wrong, I was flattered. It was just…weird.

I raised my head to see above Ho-oh's crest. I saw Mewtwo's big black airship speed above the Johto region. Ho-oh opened her beak wide, fire collecting in her mouth. Then she shot a bluish fireball directly at the ship, almost missing, but blasting an engine. "A direct blow!" I cheered. "Watch out!" Michael shouted. A hatchet in the ship opened, and Nexus walked out, mechanical wings extending from his back. "Who is that winged human?" Ho-oh inquired. "He's no human. That's Nexus, a cyborg." Michael said from behind me, hatred in his tone. Nexus spread his mechanical wings and took off, heading straight toward us. He aimed his cannon/arm at Ho-oh's face and began to charge with a blue light. Ho-oh opened her mouth a shot dozens of sharp yellow stars that deflected Nexus's plasma shot. He flew out of the way in time to avoid Swift.

"No cyborg is going to defeat me; that is certain!" Ho-oh declared. She abruptly stopped in midair. Incredibly, she managed to stay airborne without flapping her wings. I had to hold on pretty tight to keep from falling as she became erect. Her whole body began to glow, getting cloaked in a blinding light. We were engulfed as well. Nexus shot multiple plasma bullets at Ho-oh, but she took them without even flinching. A few seconds later, Ho-oh delivered the powerful Sky Attack with so much speed and force Nexus's wings and cannon shattered, and the cyborg fell. Ho-oh ignored him and kept flying, chasing the black airship. I thought Nexus was dead, but psychic energy wrapped around him and lifted him back into the ship, which made Michael snap his fingers in disappointment. "Shit!" He complained.

Another swirl of fire escaped Ho-oh's mouth, this time aimed towards the opened hatchet. The Fire Spin engulfed the entrance, and not long after, the whole airship caught fire. Its speed gradually decreased as Ho-oh closed in. Finally, she hooked her feet around a pipe at the hatchet and leaned down. "Go, you must retrieve the Plates. I shall meet you down, my lady." Ho-oh said. "_GYOO!" _She cried before spreading her wings once again and flying away. Michael and I sped through the burning insides, avoiding hot metal. Or at least, Michael was. I had no problem with heat and fire. It was pleasant, actually.

We took a narrow hallway that seemed important. The area still hadn't caught fire, which made Michael sigh with relief. We kept running across the hallway until we saw a big black door. "It must lead to the control room." Michael pointed out. "Let's break it down, then." I invited. Michael nodded. He ran toward the door and hit it with multiple Brick Breaks and I followed with Faint Attack. We kept ramming into the door with the same moves, and it was beginning to dent. "Just a little more…" I muttered as I slammed it again. I was already getting a headache.

Then a voice interrupted us. "Looking for these?" The accent was so familiar, just like… "Sta…Static?" I turned around slowly, only to see my Elekid friend spinning the necklace around with his claws. He was leaning against a wall, brows furrowed and electricity running between his antennas. My heart skipped beats and I smiled. It'd been more than two weeks since I'd last seen him, and momentarily forgot about my current mission. "Static! I'm so glad to see you!" I said. His deep purple eyes were filled with enthusiasm. "It is nice to see you too, Amber." He said. I heard Michael growl behind me, but I ignored him. "What are you doing here?" I asked. "Well, I'm just doing my job." He said, snickering. I was too happy to even realize he was acting out of character.

I saw the smoke at the other end of the hallway; the fire was catching up. Static either didn't notice or didn't care. I felt Michael place his paw on my back. "Amber, I don't trust him. His aura reeks with duplicity." He growled. I shook him off. "You're being paranoid. You don't know Static; he's one of my best friends." I argued. "That's right, blue canine, I'm a good _friend_." Static said. "Now, Amber, how about we leave this hot place and go catch up?" Static invited. I took two steps forward, but Michael grabbed my fur and yanked me back. "Amber, can't you see! _He _has the Plates, not Mewtwo!" He shouted. "You should've kept your damn mouth shut!" Static shouted. It was then that I realized he was holding my necklace in his claws, avoiding the green and purple beads.

Static swung down both his arms and sent a powerful Shock Wave across the floor, shocking me and Michael. Michael recovered faster than I did and jumped in front of me, lunging at Static with Bullet Punch ready. Static used Quick Attack and collided with Michael, leaving a white trail of light behind him.

I couldn't understand. I was baffled. Why did Static have the Plates? He…he must've intended on returning them! That's must've been it. He couldn't have another reason…

Realization finally dawned on me when Static harshly struck Michael in the face with his Thunder Punch and sent him flying against the door. Michael groaned in pain, blood sliding from the corner of his mouth. I looked at him. "Michael…" Then I looked at Static. "Static…" I muttered disbelievingly. I finally got it. If Static was able to injure my best friend and steal the Plates, there was no doubt he would be able to attack me. Anger built up inside me, fire sizzling at my throat. "Took you long enough to realize it." Static said smugly. I screamed as I lunged at him with my Faint Attack. He countered my attack with Thunder Punch but he couldn't keep me down. I bit down on his free arm as he impacted my frail body. My jaws clenched tighter and he yelped in pain. After I was firmly on the ground I used my Wide Slash to spin swiftly, and even though I couldn't actually hit him because of the position, the spin was strong enough for me to send him crashing against a wall. "Why, Static? Why would you become the enemy?" I shouted angrily. He shot up as if he was okay, but his face was filled with scratches and bruises. "I didn't become an enemy. I've always been an Omegan!" He said. He shot a weak beam of electricity at me that I easily evaded. It was hard for me to process what he was saying. "I thought you were my friend." I growled. I was trying to restrain my Flamethrower long enough for me to hear what he had to say. "I…I was. I told myself not to, but I found myself growing close to you and Nicole. That was why I needed to get away from you, because then I'd be ashamed to fight you." He stated. By now he was standing. "D-Don't listen to him, Amber. Turn him into ashes!" Michael shouted. He seemed to be paralyzed and unable to move.

Who would I listen to? Michael wouldn't lie to me. But Michael didn't know Static like I did. "Then you could have come with me. You didn't have an excuse!" I barked. He chuckled. "But I did. Taking care of that arrogant Azalea leader took me some time, but I got my job done. By then, you were already at Ameithus. That idiot Dream Weaver guy really was helpful to let me in on your whereabouts." Static said. Michael gasped. "What did you do to Xepher?" He barked. "Nothing; that Umbreon, Foolish, kept protecting him from me." Static said angrily. "Xepher…Foolish…" Michael muttered sadly. Something snapped in me. "Traitor!" I screamed. My Flamethrower shot out involuntarily as soon as the word was out. The flames doused the surprised Static and engulfed the whole corridor. Everything was on fire. The floor underneath me, the walls around me, everything.

Claws scraped against my sides desperately. I received dozens of electric volts throughout my entire body and groaned in pain. I retaliated by doing the exact same thing, only with fire. Static unhooked his claws from me and doubled over, grasping his arm with the other, which gave me the opportunity to pounce on him. A rough shake threw us away from each other. "What the Hell is happening?" I shouted. There was another violent shake. "The ship is going down!" Static shouted, horrified. Nexus appeared, his whole body scratched and burned. The left side of his face was totally _melted, _revealing a steel half with a glowing red eye. "Agent Elekid, come on! We must leave!" The cyborg shouted. Static's jaw clenched. "What about General Mewtwo?" He inquired. Another violent shake threw us all but Nexus off our feet. "Forget about the General! The escape pod is ready!" Nexus insisted angrily. Static began to run down the burning corridor, hopping in an attempt to avoid fire. I sprung up. I was about to give chase, but then I remembered Michael was immobile. I growled and let Static keep running. I ran over to Michael. "Come on, Michael." I said. He weakly lifted his paw up. I guessed there was no other option, so I did my best to slide underneath him and stand up. Now he was laying on my back, and he wasn't exactly light.

There was another rough shake, but our combined weight kept me from falling. I tried to carry Michael out of the corridor, but his weight slowed me down. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Static looking back at me. "We will meet again, Salvador." He said. "Until then, McCloud." I replied as he stepped out of my view.

"It's no use," Michael muttered. "We won't escape in time." He said. I bit my lip. '_I shall meet you down, my lady.' _Ho-oh had promised. It wasn't until that moment that I realized what she meant. "We will." I replied. I inhaled deeply, drawing in all of the smoke and fire near me and unleashed a full-power Flamethrower at the floor. The metal melted faster than I'd imagined. I didn't stop until the hole was wide enough. "We're going to jump off." I instructed. Michael tensed. "What? You're kidding, right? We can't just jump!" He argued. "We can and we have to! Or do prefer burning alive?" I mocked. He hesitated and sighed. "I'd rather jump." He said as he slowly slid off of me. He looked down the hole and his eyes widened. "Amber, there's water down there. You…you won't survive the fall." He stammered. "I know that. But you will. Now, jump!" I shouted. We hooked paws and hopped off.

I stared at the ocean below in horror. I was really regretting my choice. If Ho-oh didn't hold to her promise, I'd drown. At least, Michael could swim to shore. But me? I was a fire type. The mere impact would kill me. Come to think of it, I'd been in deadly situations a few times, so why was I worried about dying? It should've been the least of my worries. I didn't actually care. Sure, dying sucked, but if it happened, it happened. I was sure the 'Chosen One' would manage to recover the Plates from Static somehow and save the world. But there was a weird feeling in my chest that kept telling me to have faith in Ho-oh. But why? I didn't really know.

We were about to crash into the open sea. I didn't dare close my eyes. I waited for the impact, but instead, a small tornado erupted from the water. That's right, _a tornado came from underwater. _It caught us in midair and spun us all the way to its apex before flinging us upwards. We could've crashed into the falling airship, but luck was on our side. Right then, Ho-oh swooped in and we landed on her back. "Wooh! We should totally do that again!" Michael said suddenly, then immediately covered his mouth. "Sorry, all the blood in my body went into my head." He said. I grinned.

"Thanks, Ho-oh!" I shouted happily. Ho-oh nodded. "Actually, you should be thanking by good old pal Lugia for his tornado back there." She stated. I was a little confused, but I walked over to her neck and looked down, only to see a gigantic figure with glowing blue eyes and immense wings and tail underwater. "_GYAAA!_" Its high-pitched roars made the whole ocean shake, causing whirlpools and harmless water spouts. "Thank you, Lugia." I whispered. "_GYAA!" _The silhouette let out another roar before diving deep down, away from my vision. Lugia, the diving pokémon, bringer of storms, ruler of the legendary bird trio, had just saved my life along with Ho-oh, the seven-colored pokémon, creator of rainbows, mother of the beast trio. I had met two of the most admired legendary pokémon, the legends of Johto, in one day. And my heart filled with joy as the fantasies I'd had as human slowly came true little by little.

"Amber, Michael!" Nicole's voice surprised me. I turned around to see her smiling like a maniac before she nearly tackled me off the red pokémon. Then she proceeded to tackle Michael. "I took you for dead!" She cried. "Hell, that'ssss not how you reacted when you ssssaw I wassss okay. That'ssss unfair!" I looked beyond Nicole and saw an Arbok curled up near Ho-oh's tail. But it wasn't just a random Arbok. He smiled at me, revealing his bracers and sticking out his forked tongue. "Ethan," I realized. "How? I…I saw you get shot!" I gaped. "It'ssss true." Ethan replied, lifting up his bandaged tail. The bullet hadn't killed him. He'd been alright. "He only passed out from the shock." Anton stated. H was sitting on his hind legs beside Ethan. Sasuka was curled up asleep in front of her father. I went over to Ethan and rubbed my cheek against his smooth purple skin. It was sign of affection, since I had no arms to hug. He giggled. "Everyone's here." I muttered. "But why?" I inquired. "Lady Ho-oh wants to bring us back to Azalea." Nicole chirped. "I decided to come along because I wish to speak to Lady Calypso, Lady Teph, and Mistress Jirachi, whom I've heard currently reside in Azalea Village." Anton explained.

I was glad to see everyone safe. Though Ethan's smile was always creepy, it made me happy. Nicole cured Michael's paralysis with her Heal Bell. I treated his minor wounds until he felt better. That was before he said my body was a wreck. Ethan offered me a mirror and as I looked at my reflection I realized Michael was right. My fur was dirty, tainted with soot and ash. My once-curly hair was standing up erratically. My fangs were slightly stained with my own blood. My tails were uncurled and lying around. Blood oozed from the open claw marks that Static had left me on my sides. My eyes had lost some of their amber color, looking a bit dim. "I guess I am a wreck." I chuckled. "You should try to rest, dear. Nothing beats a good night sleep. And I guarantee that when you wake up, you'll find a surprise." Ho-oh said. Sleep sounded awfully great. I was about to shut my eyes when Ho-oh gasped.

"Hold on!" She instructed. We reacted fast enough, gripping Ho-oh's feathers tightly as she dove down, barely evading a Shadow Ball that seemed to come from nowhere. A dozen more of the spheres were shot her way, but I put up my Safeguard and engulfed all of us. "_GYOO! _Just give it up already. You lost." Ho-oh seethed. "No, I won't give up. Not until I _kill her_!" Mewtwo bellowed. He was floating right in front of Ho-oh, pointing at me with hatred. His body was much damaged from the fire in the airship. Couldn't this guy just leave me alone? Why did he want to get rid of me, anyway? Ho-oh lunged at Mewtwo with such speed he couldn't dodge her. She hooked her sharp talons around him and raised him up to her face, looking eye to eye. "Listen to me, clone, if you ever come disturb my slumber again or come anywhere near the Chosen One, I swear I will burn you alive as slow and painful as possible and scatter your bones across the sun. _GYOOO! _Get out of my sight, you disgust me." Ho-oh threatened. Shivers ran up and down my spine. Mewtwo's jaw was clenched and he was glaring fiercely at Ho-oh, although I could tell he was intimidated by the seven-colored deity.

Ho-oh kicked the air and released him. Mewtwo managed to keep himself in midair with his psychic powers. He bowed to Ho-oh mockingly. "Very well, madam. I'll leave your precious little savior alone for now. I know I will have her head one day, but not before lord Biomegas has yours." He chuckled darkly. "LEAVE MY PRESCENCE!" Ho-oh screamed. Her whole body became engulfed in blue, purple, pink, and red flames that were harmless to all of us. Her eyes hollowed red and the temperatures seemed to rise at her demand. "_GYYYYOOO!" _As she opened her beak, an amazing explosion of fire surrounded Mewtwo before Ho-oh rammed him. Subconsciously, I absorbed the remaining flames into my body after Ho-oh's intense attack. Mewtwo slowly fell, unconscious and heavily burned out of the sky. His form seemed to get farther away until we saw him no more. "You killed him!" Nicole chirped. "Alas, I didn't. My Sacred Fire can inflict damage, but never kill. Besides, it is not up to me to decide if he lives or not. His life will be taken by his nemesis. I can see it happening." Ho-oh said. I realized her eyes had been momentarily glowing a combination of pink and blue; the move known as Future Sight. "I have foreseen it too, oh Mighty Ho-oh. And his nemesis is none other than the Chosen One herself." Anton stated after a rough cough. I was tired of how everyone kept talking about the Chosen One while I didn't know who it was yet! "Could one of you please tell me who the Chosen One is before I go mad?" I asked, irritated.

Michael placed his paw on me. I felt him strap something to my neck but I ignored it. "My lady, have you not figured it out yet? I thought it had become very clear with the fiasco of today." Anton said. "You were destined for greatness even before your rebirth. The Chosen One is none other than you, Amber Salvador."

* * *

**Huff, sorry for the tardiness, guys. I think this chapter tops Chapter 8, don't ya think? I liked writing this. ****Did you really think I'd kill Ethan? Who doesn't like that guy? Anway, yay, Ho-oh! Can't wait to write Morty's face when he sees Ho-oh. She's actually one of my favorite legendaries (I MISS MY POKÉMON GOLD). And by the way, that won't be Lugia's only appearance in this book. He **_**will **_**have his own role like Ho-oh at some point, and I already know when. **

**I'm planning to make another Team Update for late February (you know, update all my stories at once) and I'm even going to publish my first Super Smash Brothers Brawl fic in the site. It will be titled either "Brawl****er Secrets" or "The Funny Truth" but I really haven't thought of a good title for the fic. It will be rated M (for cussing and sexual references) and the genre is humor/friendship. If anyone of you could suggest a good title for it, I'd really appreciate it. **

**Well, there's this thing I've been wanting to do since Chapter 9 but always forget. From this chapter and onward, I will be posting special character profiles at the end. Since I took long to update this fic, I'll apologize by giving you three profiles instead of one. **

_**Name: Amber Salvador**_

_**Species: Vulpix**_

_**Type: Fire**_

_**Ability: Flash Fire**_

_**Nature: Brave**_

_**Current Level: 27**_

_**Current Moves: Flamethrower, Energy Ball, Dark Pulse,**__** Faint Attack, Wide Slash, Safeguard.**_

_**Food preference: Spicy**_

_**Age: +2 months**_

_**Name: Michael Phoebus **_

_**Species: Riolu**_

_**Type: Fighting**_

_**Ability: Steadfast**_

_**Nature: Gentle**_

_**Current Level: 24**_

_**Current Moves: Bullet Punch, Hidden Power, Quick Attack, Screech, Crunch, Brick Break. **_

_**Food Preference: Bitter**_

_**Age: +8 months**_

_**Name: Nicole Katty**_

_**Species: Delcatty**_

_**Type: Normal**_

_**Ability: Cute Charm**_

_**Nature: Impish**_

_**Current Level: 27**_

_**Current Moves: Double-Edge, Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Faint Attack, Water Pulse, Heal Bell. **_

_**Food preference: Dry**_

_**Age: +3 months**_

**Teehee, hoped the info was useful. Each chapter I will do on one of these for a character that has appeared or has been mentioned in the chapter. ****Oh, you can request via reviews. I will do the profile of the character that gets requested the most. And obviously, I won't repeat profiles.**

**Oh God, I've got science, math AND**** religion tests all on Wednesday x( Wish me luck guys, cuz I blew off studying for religion to write this chapter lol. **

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	14. Aftermath of Betrayal

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Thirteen

Aftermath of Betrayal

_**Michael**_

She was having nightmares again. When she'd been told she was the Chosen One, Amber had passed out. At first, we'd been worried, but eventually she began to snore and we'd concluded she was asleep. She was curled up in front of me, breathing steadily, sweat running down her face. I'd tied my scarf around her neck before she'd been told earlier, because I'd had a feeling she'd end up like this, even though the news were a surprise for me too.

"She is in pain." Anton suddenly said. Ho-oh, Anton, and I were the only ones awake. Ho-oh nodded. "But why?" I muttered. "It is the pressure. The news was a bombshell on her." Anton said grimly. "This reaction was anticipated." Ho-oh cut in with her godly voice. The divinity flapped her wings in a peaceful pace, making her way through the night sky. The full moon shone down on us. "That's not all. A friend betrayed her today. She kept denying it until she saw he had the Plates." I said. I brought my knees up to my chest and sighed. "The feeling is horrible, to be betrayed. I have also felt it. You see, I was still young when Biomegas turned on my aunt, Arceus. Biomegas had been like a father to pokémon. Lugia and I were devastated, but we assisted the battle, and we were on Arceus's side. When Zekrom and Reshiram sacrificed themselves to stop the battle, Arceus won." Ho-oh explained. I was a little confused. "But, mistress, I've heard recent stories about Zekrom and Reshiram that involve them _not _being dead." I said. Ho-oh chuckled. "Of course, child. When the two went to interfere, they'd already been parents. Reshiram had a daughter and Zekrom had a son, although they had not yet hatched. The rest of us legendaries raised them to become the Zekrom and Reshiram known today." She explained.

"Tell me, Ho-oh, how it was like when Biomegas wasn't evil." I said. Ho-oh sighed happily. "You may call me Bells. That is how my family calls me." She said. "Alright, Bells." I said. "Very well. When Biomegas was not evil, he liked to take care of Mew's youngest children. He taught them how to battle. It's safe to say that, Biomegas is the father of battling. He invented and mastered hundreds of attacks and passed them on. He was smart, although he always refused to accept being corrected. He taught my mother how to use Sacred Fire and she taught it to me." She said. Anton coughed roughly. "So what about you? You sound as old as Bells." I asked him raising an eyebrow. He laughed hoarsely. "No, not even close to the Mighty Ho-oh's age. I am in my glorious eighties, and I am slowly awaiting my last breath." He said with a sigh. The number glued to my mind. How could the eighties be glorious? I could understand why he hadn't fought back at the Bell Tower. "Alright, then Sasuka could be around forty." I assumed. "No, not nearly. You see, my wife appeared to be unable to bear my children. No matter how hard we tried, she would not conceive. Then, she prayed to the Mighty Ho-oh, and nine months after, Sasuka's egg was laid." He said, teary eyed. "I remember that prayer," Ho-oh said. "Your wife was a wonderful woman. I had to work an arrangement with Mother in order to grant her a baby." She added. I grinned slightly as Anton contemplated Sasuka's sleeping form. "Thank you, thank you again, oh Mighty Ho-oh." He muttered.

We were all silent for a few minutes, taking in the peace and tranquility of the night. Suddenly, Amber began to murmur in her sleep. She said something like "Get out…" and it was all it took for me to decide to do something. "She's had enough." I muttered. I placed my paw lightly on her forehead and the other on her bundle of tails, where she got most of her strength from. I closed my eyes and focused deeply. Eventually I felt my energy slowly transmit through my arms. The aura and energy finally went into Amber. I drained all of my thoughts and stayed perfectly still, the process almost complete.

"What is he doing?" Ho-oh whispered. "I am impressed. The young boy is Dream Weaving." Anton gasped. I tried to ignore them the best I could, and, at last, I lost consciousness.

When I reopened my eyes I was in a pitch black area. As I stood up, the place became lit and I could hear voices. Once I was fully conscious and regained mobility, everything was clear. I was standing on a humid cave floor. There were crystals and stones sprawled all around the area. The cave walls were of a cerulean tint, while others were a light tone of fuchsia. The sound of the underground river's strong currents was almost drowned out by some harsh yelling. My nose caught the most horrid of smells: blood. I ran to the source, only to freeze at the scene.

"_Kill me, but leave my pokémon alone!" _Shouted a beautiful young woman with curly red hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Her forehead was drenched in sweat and she had open cuts all over her face. She breathed rapidly. She was standing beside a beaten and tattered Ninetales, whom was unable to even stand up. "_I do not take orders from mortals, girl. You're pokémon go first!" _A loud cruel voice said. I recognized it as Mewtwo, and I turned my head to see him standing a few feet in front of the twosome readying an attack. In his hands was a glowing, golden sphere of energy, like a mini sun. It kept growing in size and once it was finished charging, Mewtwo raised his arms above his head, aiming at the beaten Ninetales, and a beam of the same coloring shot from the sphere. The wide beam made a horrible screeching sound as it extended and shot at great speed. My eyes were wide with horror. I thought that the Ninetales was a goner, until…

"_NO!" _The woman screeched, echoing, as she threw herself in front of Ninetales and shielded the pokémon, her body taking the whole attack. I gasped and my mouth fell open when the smoke cleared, and revealed the woman lying on the cold cave floor. She was lying on a pool of red, blood sliding from the corner of her mouth. She was bleeding from deep cuts all over her body and her clothes were already stained. It made me a little nauseous; I'd never seen anything similar. The Ninetales broke into tears and ran to the human. Weakly, the girl unstrapped her belt and the Ninetales took it into its mouth. She whispered something inaudible to Ninetales, and the weeping fire type ran away as fast as its legs could carry it. Mewtwo stared in amazement as the human coughed up blood and stopped breathing, closing her amber eyes.

Suddenly the image faded and I found myself in a dark place. I could hear voices, voices I'd never heard before. My surroundings became clear, and I was standing inside some sort of ship in front of a large window. I looked outside and my mouth fell open. There, in all its wonderful glory, was Earth. I was up in outer space. A loud alarm rang through the entire place and the lights strobe red.

"_The Omegans have infiltrated! Quick Blayze, the escape pod!" _A feminine voice shouted. _"Got it!"_ A male voice replied. A red pokémon raced by me, but I couldn't identify it. It wasn't that I didn't know the specie; it was that it was a blur, a complete and total blur. I _could_ identify it was carrying a round object; an orange egg with red zigzag designs. It placed the egg inside a metal pod with cushiony insides. The pokémon pressed a button and the pod slid out of the ground. I watched through the window as it began to descend to Earth like a meteor. Then my vision faded, but I could still hear. "_You will never get my baby!" _The female shouted over hundreds of agonized screams. _"Arcanine, Ninetales, surrender!"_ A robot voice yelled. _"NEVER!" _

My surroundings changed again. But this time, I was in the middle of a cavern. Pink, purple, and blue crystals poked out from the walls, roof, and floor, illuminating the cave. An eerie wind blew by. _"Get out of my head." _Amber's voice demanded weakly. I jerked my head left, thinking she'd discovered my intrusion into her dream. But her back was turned to me. She was sitting back on her hind legs inside an underground hot spring. Steam filled the whole room. The water reached only her belly. I walked closer, touching the hot waters. It felt so warm, so incredibly real. There was a silent waterfall in the distance, pouring silvery water into the cave. I dared not touch Amber, for she'd most likely wake up. I stood beside her and looked into her eyes. They were hollow, almost lifeless. Her tails were uncurled and lying limply in the water.

I looked in the direction she was looking. A silvery bubble floated above the water, and inside was a shadow of a creature. It had a long, black tail, small, frail body, and pointy ears. It was a mere silhouette. It had no eyes, no mouth, and no face. The creature was entirely blackened, so much I thought it was only an immobile shadow. It proved me wrong when it wiggled its tail. _"I'm afraid I can't do that, dear. I'll linger to guide you." _It spoke in an ancient, raspy, female voice, even though it had no mouth. _"I don't need guidance! Stop screwing with my mind!" _Amber shouted. _"If it weren't for me, you'd be dead. I've been watching over you since even before you were born."_ The shadow retorted. _"Who are you? What do you want with me? Why won't you let me be!" _Amber screamed. The shadow giggled. _"I can't answer the first one. But, I want you to survive. All I'm doing is watching over you. If I'd left when you'd wanted me to, you'd never acquired two Plates, never would've given Red Knight his rightful eternal rest, never would've gotten strong, never would've even met your friend Michael." _The shadow said, giggling. Amber hung her head. I became confused when it'd mentioned me. What did I have to do with Amber's dream? Oh, right…I was in it.

"_All I want is peace of mind. I'll do whatever you want. Just, get out of my head!" _Amber demanded. _"You've been through enough. Please, don't mourn over what you've lost. Forget the past. I have also suffered betrayal and pain. When you are able to move on, you will be at peace, and you'll understand what being reborn really means." _The shadow replied softly.

Then it ended. Reality came back to me abruptly, shattering everything around me as my vision blurred and everything became inaudible and intangible.

I could barely understand anything. The conversation I understood, but what about the other two? The first one…that woman…her eyes and voice were so, so familiar…was she…? Could she have been…? That woman in Amber's dream…was none other than Amber herself. And I'd experienced her foul memory. I knew now the kind of grudge she held against Mewtwo, and the kind of love she had for pokémon.

When I opened my eyes, I was sitting beside Amber with my paws on her forehead and tails. I panted heavily. That had taken a lot from me. "So, child, what did you see?" The Great Absol asked. "I'm not sure. First, I saw Mewtwo kill a girl. Then I was inside a spaceship in outer space watching an egg head to Earth." I said. I decided to leave out the conversation between Amber and the shadow. I wanted to keep it a secret, probably until I could confront her about it. She'd probably get mad at me for eavesdropping on her dream, but oh well, I had to do it. Now that I knew what was bugging her, I could replace her dream. After all, I was a Dream Weaver. "What should I make her dream about?" I inquired lowly. Anton looked down in thought. "How about her familiars? Surely, she has someone whom she misses. It would make her happy." He suggested. "What do you think, Bells?" I asked Ho-oh. She nodded. "Sounds good. Although, I have no idea how you can do that. Dreams are not my field of expertise. If you need rainbows, sunshine, and fire, I'm your bird. Oh! Put rainbows in her dream." Ho-oh suggested. I sweat-dropped. "Alright." I said.

If you've ever wondered how Dream Weavers make dreams, don't ask me. I'd never been able to know _how _it happened. All I knew was that it required concentration and a few other criteria. I kept my paws where they were, but I pressed them a little more. Amber's body felt delightfully warm.

I began to think about everyone I'd met that day after the black jet had landed in the forest. I thought back to when I'd met Amber (and I realized I'd acted like a total ass…). I started to create sceneries in my mind, placing those who were important to Amber, like the leader of her home colony, her adoptive father, her friend Nicole when she'd been a Skitty, and even put that Static guy in. I wasn't sure if he would make her happy or sad, but I did know they'd been having a lot of fun back at the river weeks ago. After the whole dream had been created in my mind I conveyed it to her, focusing greatly.

After I removed my paws, the pained expression on her sleeping face disappeared. She curled up more comfortably and sighed heavily. She was finally peaceful, which also gave me peace of mind. "That was an excellent performance for such a young pokémon." Anton said, breaking the silence. "Huff, what do you mean?" I said as I leaned back and rested my back on Ho-oh, placing my paws behind my head. "It took me years to learn to fully form a dream alone, but you have done it marvelously, yet you are young. Now that I am old I can weave whatever I want, on whoever I desire." Anton stated. I looked at him in shock. "You're a Dream Weaver, too?" I inquired. He chuckled. "Yes, child. I do not know if you recall the dream you had on the night of the 24th of this month, do you?" He asked. I thought back to the night I'd had that weird dream, where I'd first heard Sasuka's name. "Yeah, I remember." I assured. "Well, it was I who sent it to you. It was about the conversation I had with my daughter the day I'd received the glorious news that the Chosen One had been born." He said, looking at Amber happily before coughing lightly. "So, it was a memory." I said. It was more of a statement than a question. "Yes. I conserved it. I found strange that the Chosen One was yet to arrive to hear my words, so I knew I had to hurry things." He said. "But, why did you send it to me and not Amber?" I asked. "Because, young one, you were the only one asleep at the time." He said simply. "Oh." I sighed.

"Sleep, dear. I shall awaken you when the time comes." Ho-oh said. I closed my eyes and obliged, quickly falling asleep.

_**Amber **_

I was sitting in the middle of the classroom on my red cushion listening to how Mrs. Katty explained type matchups. Static sat beside me taking notes with his holographic notebook in which he wrote with his claws. He leaned to my side and whispered: "_Check it out, Nicole's asleep." _I looked to my left and snickered as a bubble blew up and down from Nicole's nose. It would've been hard to tell she was sleeping because of her naturally shut eyes that all Skitty had, but that bubble gave her away. Static and I chuckled. "Miss Salvador! Is there something you wish to share with the class?" Mrs. Katty demanded. I felt as small as a Caterpie. "Erm, no, ma'am. Sorry." I said shyly as I hid my face with my holographic notebook. Mrs. Katty went back to explaining and I saw Static trying to hold down a laugh. He failed epically and burst into laughter. The Delcatty didn't like that. She turned to him and scowled. "Mister McCloud! I am fed up with your attitude. I want you and your group of friends out of my classroom for the rest of today!" She demanded. Hesitantly, Static and I started to pick up our things.

"And you, Miss Katty, WAKE UP! You're not at home! Please, go with your friends and stay out, honey." The teacher told Nicole softly, swaying her tail back and forth, using Heal Bell to wake up Nicole. It wasn't fair, because normally she'd use Wake-Up Slap to awaken anyone who fell asleep during class.

Nicole grumpily stood up and picked up her things, following us out. As soon as we were in the hallway and the door slid shut behind us, we burst into laughter. "So…what now?" Nicole asked. "Let's go back to my place; Morty said he was making special lunch!" I chirped. "Okay, it depends. By special, do you mean 'something rarely made', or 'something that will burn my tongue off'?" Static joked. "Because we know how you like spice." Nicole added. I stuck my tongue out at them. "Fine! Reject my invitation. I'll just invite Hoja and Shadow." I said as I began to walk out. "That jerk! No way! Wait for me!" Nicole shouted as she ran to catch up with me. One more to go. "The nerd? No! I'm much cooler and awesomer!" Static protested as he used Quick Attack to catch up. "Is that even a word?" Nicole asked. "Don't know, don't care." Static said. We all laughed.

I suddenly looked back at my friends, and was shocked at what I saw. The Skitty I once knew had suddenly turned into a Delcatty. Her pancake brown eyes contained some kind of maturity and power. My best friend Elekid had disappeared. In his place ran a Riolu, smiling widely at me. His blue eyes were filled with honesty and loyalty, something Static's purple ones had never contained. The walls of the training school turned into vast trees and we were running toward the end of the forest, where bright sunlight shone. "We're in this together!" Nicole whispered. "You can count on us." Michael said.

I finally understood. None of this was real. It was a dream; a dream that made me realize that it had been Michael who had changed us. Static would've never been the one to travel, to defend, to support, to comfort us. If we'd stayed with Static, we would've never moved forward. Michael was the one who did those things. That was what reflected in his eyes. He dragged us out of darkness, and we cooperated to achieve what everyone wanted: freedom, the end of the dark prison we were racing across.

I could learn to forget about Static, the traitor. Now he meant nothing to me. I had better friends, loyal ones. The ones I'd happily give my life for.

**D'WAAAA WASN'T THAT SWEET? Don't you just love little pokemons?**

**Hey guys! I'm sorry for the short chapter. Originally, this was 14 pages long, but I decided to make it short and sweet so that the content would match the chapter title. I split this chapter and made the other half into chapter fourteen, which shall be posted shortly after I finish it. **

**Alright, as promised on chapter twelve, here is a special character profile. **

**Name: Static**

**Species: Elekid**

**Ability: Static (WOW)**

**Nature: Impish **

**Current Level: 35**

**Current Moves: Shock Wave, Thunder Punch, Quick Attack, Thunderbolt, Captivate (omitted). **

**Food preference: Sour**

**Age: +4 months**

**Feel free to make profile requests. I'll do anyone's, even minor characters. **

**So, you all noticed the outer space part. Well, that was a little bonus. I'll give you a little something special if you can figure it out, but don't say it via review, send me a PM so we may discuss. **


	15. Friends and Rivals

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Fourteen

Friends and Rivals

The sunlight poured down and annoyed my eyelids. I opened my eyes slowly, taking in my surroundings: feathers, morning sky, and more feathers. Yep. I was still on Ho-oh's back. I yawned and stretched my tails, curling and uncurling them. I stretched my paws and sat up, yawning again. I scratched my back and looked around me. The subjects of my dream were sleeping peacefully. Nicole was lying on her back snoring loudly, drooling; her usual sleep position. Michael was slumped beside me with his paws behind his head, one leg on top of the other, and his tongue poking out of his mouth. I giggled lowly; I'd never seen him sleeping before.

"Good morning, m'lady." Ho-oh said. I walked over to her neck. "Good morning, mistress." I greeted respectfully. "Please, call me Bells." She said. "Okay, Bells." I said. "Wake your friends. We are to arrive in less than a minute!" Ho-oh said. I went over to shake Nicole roughly, because if I'd done it softly she wouldn't have felt it. She slowly started to open her eyes as she growled, sipping the drool back into her mouth. She hissed as the sunlight hit her eyes. "What's the big idea?" She mumbled as she sat up on her hind legs. "It's no idea. It's morning." I said. She raised her butt and stretched her back, like all feline pokémon did. I went over to Michael. Alright, I had no idea of how I'd do it. Shake him? Or just call him? "Michael, wake up." I called, nudging him lightly. "Oh, I get it. I get the abrupt treatment but Mr. Blue gets the gentle treatment? I'm not going to allow that! HEY MICHAEL, RISE AND SHINE!" Nicole shouted. Her loud mouth woke even the Great Absol.

"Uh, what is all of this obnoxious shouting about? I demand to know who awoke me!" Absol demanded, standing up and glaring at us. Sasuka's eyes snapped open, and she stood up to look around. "Sweet mother of mercy! Morning? Oh no! No! No! No! I was supposed to eat my sugar pie at dawn!" Sasuka screeched. "SILENCE!" Ho-oh boomed. We all fell quiet. "_GYO! _I have been kind enough to let you ride on my back. I do not appreciate you assaulting my ears in such a fierce way so early in the day!" She protested. Anton bowed. "I beg for your forgiveness, mighty Ho-oh! Forgive my daughter." He apologized. Ho-oh sighed and nodded. "Oh goody, I'm forgiven." Sasuka chirped.

Michael had already stood up. He was scratching his back lazily and smacking his lips. "Aiyeh, if we're all ssssilent, maybe sssshe won't sssscold ussss anymore." Ethan whispered. He was still curled up, but I guessed that if he uncurled there wouldn't be any space for us on Ho-oh, what with his new length. "So, Ethan," I began casually. "Where were you during Mewtwo's battle with me?" I asked. He put on a thoughtful expression. "Well, I wassss about to battle, but I wassss feeling a little sssstrange, sssso I decided to sssstep out for a moment. I went around the colony, sssseing if any ressssident would help out, but nobody wanted to talk to a ssssneaky Ekanssss. When I finally decided to come back, thissss sssstupid Raticate attacked me! I wassss weaker, but then I managed to evolve. The Raticate ran off assss ssssoon assss he ssssaw my belly pattern!" He said proudly, raising himself so I could see the intimidating pattern on his stomach. It looked like an evil, angry face that sent shivers down my spine.

"_GYO! _We have arrived! Behold the rebel village, Azalea!" Ho-oh boomed. We all looked down to see the small houses and the shrine. "_GYYYYOOO!" _Ho-oh cried. She flapped her mighty wings rapidly as she descended; creating gusts that shook the grass and the canopies of the trees. She roosted on the ground perfectly, her seven-colored wings spread wide. Michael had a huge smile on his face. You could almost _feel _the happiness that radiated from him. "Azalea! _Eh vuélto a casa!" _He shouted. Ho-oh leaned to the right, making the tip of her wing touch the ground. Michael slid off her wing and onto the grass. "_Mama! Papa!" _He called in his language as he ran toward a cabin made of leaves. He didn't even get to knock the door before a Lucario came out of the house and picked him up. "_Mi hijo!_ _Que alegría que has regresádo!" _His mom cried, tears streaking her face. I couldn't understand anything, but I knew they were happy.

Many villagers were outside, staring at Ho-oh in awe. A little boy had his mouth agape. Some older villagers were bowing down. Suddenly the friendliness in Ho-oh's face had disappeared, only to be replaced with authority. I turned my head to the biggest house, the one of the village leader. The door slammed open to reveal Calypso's bare foot; she'd kicked it open. She lowered her leg and stepped into view, looking at us nonchalantly. "Mortimer Salvador, I believe your precious one has returned." She said sternly with her weird accent, turning her head toward someone inside the house. "I am not falling for that again! I won't believe you until I see her!" A voice said angrily from inside.

Ho-oh quickly hid behind some trees. I thought that maybe she needed to sleep. After all, she'd been up all night. She hid until I couldn't see her anymore. That was when I turned my head to look at the main house again.

I smiled as Morty passed through the walls and lifted his gaze. His violet eyes were immediately illuminated. "Morty!" I called happily.

* * *

We were all sitting around the shrine, relaxing on the smooth grass. The only exception was Calypso, who was standing with her arms crossed, one bare foot stomping on the ground repeatedly. "Well, let me hear it. What did you find out?" She growled. I looked at her a little closer and noticed what was different. Her arms were bandaged and her olive skin seemed a little charred. There were cuts all around her face and her dark brown hair had been cut shorter, now dropping on her shoulders. She looked as if she'd been in a rough fight. I was probably right. "My prediction was accurate. Lady Calypso, this here youth, is the savior from the heavens, the Chosen One." Anton said, motioning to me. I laughed sheepishly. "You expect me to believe that our future rests on _her _paws? You must be pulling my hair! Such a small and delicate pokémon cannot be the Chosen One! _Dígame la verdad!" _Calypso bawled, pumping her trembling fist. Anton sighed. "There are always those who doubt fate. In utter respect, I shall allow you to choose to believe me or not. Whatever you decide, it will not change what is certain. Amber Salvador is our savior." Anton replied sternly. I felt a little self-conscious. Calypso growled but didn't reply.

"I always knew you were special," Morty whispered. "Since the day you crashed in Veilstone and nearly killed me." He joked with a wink. I giggled. "That is so cooooool! I get to be the Chosen One's friend! Yipee!" Sasuka chirped. "So Amber, mind introducing me to your new friends? You could start by the Delcatty over there." Morty said, glancing at Nicole. I giggled. "Morty, that's Nicole." I said. His eyes widened. "You don't say! Wow, Nicole! You've evolved! I didn't recognize you." He shouted. Nicole giggled nervously and smiled. "I sure have, Mr. Salvador." She chirped, wagging her tail. "You look classier and stronger. Huff, you just might be able to take on Hoja and beat him." Morty stated, which made her eyes widen. Then her expression turned into a wicked smirk. "I guess I can!" She said. Morty looked back at me. "Alright, so who's the weird-colored Absol?" He asked. "That's Sasuka Misfortune, and Anton is her dad." I said, gesturing to the two Absol respectively. "I see. And the Arbok?" He questioned. "That's our friend Ethan. We met him in the Ilex Forest right after we set out. He tagged along and he's proven himself to be very loyal." I explained. Morty smiled. "It's good to know you have reliable friends." He said, although there was a slight sadness in his tone. I knew the cause of it. He'd experienced Static's betrayal before me, right here in Azalea. I didn't want to talk about it, so I stayed quiet.

We were all chatting happily until I heard a sound like drums. "Mortimer! You owe me a battle!" A loud, obnoxious, and familiar voice rang. I jerked my head toward the woods to see an Infernape swing from branch to branch until he landed right in front of us. He stood up straight and pounded his chest with his fists. I got wary and crouched in battle position. Morty sighed in annoyance. "Relax, Amber." He instructed. "Not now, Fuego! Can't you see that Amber's back?" he shouted. Fuego? But the Fuego I knew was a Monferno! Had he evolved? "Huh? Oh, Amber's here! Hey, kiddo, I almost didn't notice!" The Infernape yelled. Yep, it was, without a doubt, Fuego. "Check out my new and awesome body!" He bragged, flexing his muscles and waving his tail around. "Hey, Fuego! Nice to see you and your new form." I greeted. "Hey, the Reborn Club is having a meeting tonight! Or at least, it will after I organize it." Fuego said. "Reborn Club? How come you haven't included me in that? I'm a reborn, just like you!" Morty complained. Fuego put on a 'DUH' expression and waved his hand. "Because you're _boring!_" He shouted. Morty cringed and scowled. "I AM NOT BORING! I'M CIVILIZED! UNLIKE YOU, OF COURSE!" He replied angrily. They started to bawl insults at each other, some so bad I couldn't repeat them.

"Settle down, settle down. I think the only way to solve this is with a battle, which had already been arranged." Hoja's voice cut in. The Grovyle walked out of the woods eating an apple. His permanent scowl was planted on his face like usual. "Fuego's been dying to show off his new skills, but he's too chicken to fight me." He told me. I chuckled. "It's not that. I'm just afraid of hurting my little brother!" Fuego defended, giving a thumbs-up. Hoja rolled his eyes. "Alright, Fuego, you'll have the battle you want. But I have to warn you, I won't be an easy opponent. They didn't call me _Gym Leader _for nothing." Morty said smugly. "Bring. It. ON!" Fuego shouted. The fire on his head extended, the flames rising mightily. "Please, take this out in the training field." Calypso ordered.

Fuego ran through the woods and we all followed. I guessed everyone wanted to see the fight, even Michael. Fuego placed himself at the opposite side of a large clearing. The area was full of training dummies too beaten to be used again and targets strewn on the grass. There were also arrows and swords lying around, and I doubted they would make movement easy. Morty hovered to float at the opposite end of the clearing. Everyone took seats on tree branches, keeping their distance. I, however, went to stand between the twosome.

"I'll referee." I announced loudly. "Go ahead." Morty said. "On the left we have Fuego Starstone and on the right we have Morty Salvador!" I shouted. My friends applauded, except for Calypso who stayed with her arms crossed. I saw Ethan was coiled around a tree. Michael was with his mom, her legs dangling in the air from the branch. Michael sat on the Lucario's lap, watching intently. I sighed. "Alright…battle…BEGIN!" I shouted as I swiftly jumped out of the way. They were kind enough to let me sit down on a branch before they actually started.

Fuego quickly lunged, his fist turning white. His Mach Punch was too fast for me to register, but all I knew was that his fist passed right through Morty's body harmlessly. Morty chuckled. "Uh, I forgot ghosts aren't affected by fighting type moves!" Fuego growled. Morty got behind him and his eyes turned neon blue. A rainbow-colored beam escaped his eyes and impacted Fuego's back roughly. Psybeam, being a Psychic type move, was super effective against fighting types like Infernape. Fuego had started badly. He turned back around with a fire-cloaked fist and slammed the surprised Morty. His speed was incredible! Morty was blown back a few feet.

"Your body's too light to endure my attacks. One more Fire Punch is all I need to beat you!" Fuego announced. "Don't underestimate me, fire butt. You have never seen me in battle." Morty chuckled. "Ghost pokémon are tricky," Michael's mom whispered. She had a weird Spanish accent, like Calypso's. "They put us fighting types in a knot." She said. She was sitting right beside me with Michael on her lap. "Morty's trickier," I told her. "He's more experienced than me." I admitted. Lucario nodded.

Fuego prepared another Fire Punch and threw himself at Morty. But the ghost type shot a ball of shadows directly at him, stopping Fuego mid-run. Fuego jumped back, making distance between his enemy. I doubted that would stop Morty, considering most of his moves were long-range attacks. "You're fast," Fuego remarked. Morty snickered. "…but you're only quick to react! I've figured you out. You can't actually move quickly, can you?" Fuego said, smug. Morty scowled slightly, although he didn't look surprised. It was true. Morty's species, like most ghost types, weren't known for their speed. Infernape, however, was. I was amazed at myself that I remembered all of those facts from my human life. I'd never thought they'd be useful, and in this life, they were handier than before. "That doesn't matter." Morty said.

Morty hovered above the ground, eyes fixated on Fuego, waiting for him to attack. I noticed he wouldn't move unless Fuego moved first. He wanted to counter everything thrown at him. Apparently, Fuego over-looked this little detail and hopped in the air. He gave some impressive spins while spewing flames from his mouth until he became a wheel of fire heading quickly towards Morty. "That's Flame Wheel!" I gasped. "Quite a powerful move, and hard to evade, too." Nicole stated from her branch. Morty's eyes widened as the Flame Wheel came closer. I thought he'd dodge, but to my surprise he threw himself at the attack. What was he thinking? He had me dumbfounded.

Morty was pressed against the flames, trying to stop Fuego. The fire eventually dispersed and Fuego stretched himself. "What the…" He looked at Morty confused, but his lips curled up into a smirk. "Are you suicidal?" He asked. "Not quite." Morty replied. He tackled Fuego, like it mattered; he was too small to move the bigger pokémon. But as soon as his body came in contact with Fuego's once more, a beam of light escaped his body from the left and another came from Fuego's right. The two beams circled around them before going into the opposite body. As soon as the light disappeared into Morty, he chuckled and faded.

Bruises and scratches suddenly appeared on Fuego's skin. He dropped to one knee and supported himself with one hand on the ground, panting. "W-what…w-was that?" He asked between pants. "I have never seen that technique before!" Hoja remarked. I didn't recognize it either. It was bizarre and beyond my imagination. I didn't even know what Morty had done; all I knew is that Fuego had been in top form and suddenly he was exhausted. Calypso furrowed her brows and her lips curled into an amused smirk. "_Maravilloso. _I can see why our ancestors enjoyed watching the battles between pokémon. Mortimer is much skilled." She commented. "Lady Calypso, what was that move?" Michael asked. "A special trump card only one pokémon can learn through growth. That move perfectly equalizes the health of the two combatants, and it is called Pain Split!" Calypso stated.

"Morty, you douche…" Fuego growled. "Where'd you go?" He muttered. Morty was still nowhere to be seen. All of a sudden, blue psychic energy wrapped around Fuego, lifting him into the air. He flailed around and struggled to break free, but he was flung against a tree despite his attempts for freedom. Fuego's back hit the trunk. He groaned and stood up. "Hey! Hiding in the shadows? That is so unfair!" Fuego protested. "It is far from unfair. I think it's called _strategy_." Morty said as he faded back into view. He began to collect shadows into his mouth, creating an orb of dark energy. "I just need one more shot!" He boomed as he fired Shadow Ball.

"He's going to win." I chirped. Hoja shook his head. "Look again." He said, pointing his claw back at the battle. The Shadow Ball was about to impact Fuego, but his electrified fist broke through the attack, neutralizing it. Everyone gasped, even Morty. "You may have big special attack power…but I really prefer physical moves!" Fuego bellowed. Fuego engulfed himself in flames again, charging at Morty with Flame Wheel. Morty looked like he wasn't amazed. He waited for Fuego to close in and flew up to avoid the Flame Wheel, but Fuego immediately halted. He threw his head back and shot an immense swirling vortex of fire upward, spiraling and trapping Morty. He became engulfed quickly in the fire and was tossed around inside the twister of flames. I began to worry when Morty still hadn't broken free. My heartbeats sped up. "It looks like Fuego has managed to turn the tables with Fire Spin." Calypso remarked. "Come on Morty…you can break out…" I muttered.

Even after Fuego closed his muzzle, the vortex kept itself in the air, only weaker. After a few seconds the flames dispersed. Morty was burned all over. He fell, unable to keep himself in midair. Fuego seemed to like this opportunity and winded up his fist. Shadows collected around it before ghostly black claws extended from his fingers. He waited for the right moment and slashed Morty with Shadow Claw before he had a chance to evade or recover from the Fire Spin. Morty collapsed on the ground, looking defeated.

I jumped off the tree branch and ran over, examining both battlers. I breathed a heavy sigh. "Morty is unable to…Morty?" I didn't get to finish my announcement as Morty began to arise. "This is not over." He said. There was a tiny trace of blood running down from his mouth. "Are you sure?" I inquired. He nodded and floated back up. "I guess the battle continues!" I chirped and jumped back to give them space. I climbed back up the tree and sat back down on my branch beside Michael and his mom. "That Morty fellow is persistent, is he not?" Lucario giggled. "Yeah, he sure is." I replied.

"It doesn't matter, ballerina. You're too weak to resist one more move, anyway!" Fuego taunted. "Is that so? Then I guess I'll have to change that!" Morty said as he lunged at Fuego. "Not again!" Fuego protested. Morty rammed him in the chest, light coming out from both battlers and circling around them; Pain Split. Their health was now equal. Fuego panted from exhaustion and slammed Morty with a Thunder Punch, but Morty recovered quickly and banished, soon to reappear at the other side of the field. Morty's red jewels began to glow on the inside. The area seemed to darken and he opened his mouth to let out a horrible, eerie, sinister incantation. Many of us flinched and tried to cover our ears, but his chant soon ended. I'd heard the chant before. It was a move. What was it called? I knew it was something powerful… "What the Hell was that?" Fuego shouted. "Perish Song. And our perish count has fallen to 3. You have two choices: defeat me in less than ten minutes, or we will be defeated _at the same time_." Morty stated. Fuego pounded his chest like a drum, refusing to be intimidated. "You don't scare me!" He bellowed.

Morty faded out of view. Fuego shifted his eyes around, trying to see him, but the ghost type was nowhere. I think Fuego saw something, because he abruptly curled up to perform Flame Wheel. He spun around aimlessly, circling the whole field. He was so fast it didn't give the fire time to spread onto the grass. Suddenly Morty faded back, but he was right in front of Flame Wheel. He lifted his head and produced a fierce discharge of electricity from his body. The Thunderbolt enveloped Fuego and stopped his attack, the ape emerging and suffering from the volt. Thunderbolt was one of Morty's favorite moves. "Perish count has fallen to 2!" He announced.

Morty followed up with a Psybeam, but Fuego somehow managed to surpass the pain and absorbed all of Thunderbolt's power into his fist, impacting Morty with Thunder Punch before he got to fire the rainbow beam. Morty was headed for the ground, but he faded again. "You're not fooling me this time," Fuego growled. He pounded his chest and spewed another Fire Spin, only that he was _inside _this one. He used the blazing vortex as a shield. I realized that wherever Morty would materialize, he'd be attacked. If he located himself outside Fire Spin, Fuego would fling it at him, and if he got inside the attack, Fuego could hit him with a Fire Punch. Any way, he would be stricken.

"Perish count has fallen to 1!" Morty declared as he materialized on top of the swirling inferno. He shot a Shadow Ball into the entrance and it hit Fuego right in the face. Fuego propelled himself into the air with a kick, one arm ready with Thunder Punch, and the other with Fire Punch. Morty was too slow and received the first blow, but flew away in time to avoid the other. Fuego turned around as he fell to the floor, glaring at the ghost type. He opened his muzzle to shoot another Fire Spin, but something stopped him. I looked closer only to realize his immobility was due to Morty's Mean Look. One of his eyes was hollowed entirely black and the other red. Shivers ran down my spine. Fuego was completely immobile, unable to take his eyes off Morty's. "Game over!" Morty shouted smugly, Mean Look still in effect, as he readied a large Shadow Ball in his mouth. He shot the sphere at Fuego before he landed, and the impact was so rough it caused a large explosion.

I jumped down from my branch, ready to declare the conclusion. A powerful gust blew all of the dust away, only to reveal Fuego lying on the ground with swirly eyes. Morty was panting heavily. His eyes were back to their normal violet color, and his friendly smile was back in his face. "Fuego is unable to battle! The winner is Morty Salvador!" I announced happily. The spectators cheered, even Calypso. Hoja sighed and jumped down from the tree, approaching his defeated brother. He kicked his head lightly. "C'mon, get up and stop making a fool of yourself." Hoja said. Fuego groaned and reached up. Hoja grabbed his hand and helped him up. "I guess you win, fair and square, Morty. But next time, I'm going to beat you, ballerina!" Fuego chirped. As he stood right in front of me I noticed how much he towered over the rest of us, matching even Calypso's height. "I told you to stop calling me ballerina!" Morty bellowed. "As soon as you stop calling me fire-butt, I'll stop calling you ballerina!" Fuego tried to bargain. "No way!" Morty refused. He leaned in to whisper something in my ear. "Gosh, he's more annoying than my _last _best friend, who was an obsessive, talkative, annoying fanboy, and _that's_ saying something!" He said. I chuckled. Morty sighed. "Gods, how I miss him." He muttered. "Don't worry; you might be able to reunite in this time." I assured. He grinned.

We were about to go back when a powerful cry stopped us in our tracks. "_GYO! _Halt! I desire a 'chat'!" Ho-oh's godly voice boomed. Her stomps shook the ground. "Who is that?" Morty muttered. We all turned around to see the trees shaking as Ho-oh emerged from the forest. Morty lost all color as he set his eyes on the seven-colored pokémon. For a few seconds, he was simply frozen. "I believe I know you. Come on, young Mismagius, we need to talk. You too, my lady." Ho-oh said.

I thought Morty would sophisticatedly accept Ho-oh's invitation and go quietly, but instead he flew like a bullet to her feet and bowed, using Psychic to pluck multiple flowers and fruit. "Oh, mighty, great, powerful, awesome Ho-oh! Accept my offerings! I'm your loyal servant! Forgive all my sins! LONG LIVE HO-OH!" He cried as he kept picking more roses and throwing them at Ho-oh's feet. She blushed, even though her red feathers made it almost unnoticeable. However, she straightened herself proudly and put on a look of authority. "Nobody has acknowledged me like that in a long time, young Mismagius. For that, I am grateful." She said, picking up a Figy berry with her beak and swallowing it whole. Morty looked like he'd received a trophy of awesomeness. "Come on now, and no more blabbering." Ho-oh instructed, motioning both of us with her large wing. She turned her back, brushing Morty with her golden tail, and began to walk deeper into the woods. Morty took off like a jet plane, and I had to run after them.

Ho-oh folded her wings and ate the berries Morty had given her. Morty stared at Ho-oh in awe. "I devoted my whole life to impress you, mighty Ho-oh. Now I have you before me!" Morty chirped. "Your name makes me ponder. I knew a Morty before…but he wasn't a pokémon _at all." _Ho-oh said. Morty's eyes lit up. "Oh? Maybe it _was _me! I used to be human." He stated hopingly. Ho-oh's eyes widened and she looked at Morty right in the eye. He didn't recoil or react; he just floated there blankly. "Oh, yes. You are him. Your eyes are an exact match. Morty Irigeist, nice to meet you again." Ho-oh said. "Actually, my lady, it is Salvador now. At least…that is the name given to me by my pokémon parents." Morty replied, grinning slightly. "And tell me, where are they right now?" Ho-oh asked. Morty's grin faded. "I never knew them. The leader of Veilstone, Mistress Jirachi, hatched me and found my family's name. That is all I know." He said sadly. I stared at him in shock. It was no wonder he was so attached to Star, even if she was cold and bossy. Ho-oh chuckled. "Jirachi has quite a reputation. Her achievements have been heard by my own ears." She stated.

"Erm, Bells, how do you know Morty? I mean, weren't you like…_hiding _during his time?" I inquired. It was true. Many pokémon trainers had gone up the Bell Tower to try and summon Ho-oh, but all had failed. I'd even tried myself. Of course, failing had irritated me. Ho-oh seemed offended. "Humf! I was not hiding! What do you take me for, a coward?" She questioned angrily. "Oh, you've made her angry! Amber, I thought I taught you manners!" Morty whispered in my ear. Ho-oh regained her cool expression. "Anyway, I was waiting for a worthy trainer. But he was killed before he could summon me. Too bad." She said, eyeing Morty. "I nominated you for rebirth, you know." She suddenly stated blankly. Morty doubled over. "Excuse me?" He choked out. "Yes. After I saw your courage, I knew it could not go to waste. So I spoke to the giver of life and your rebirth was decided." She said. But, who _was _this giver of life? I had to review the old books. If there were any books at all, of course. Morty looked really happy, like he could burst into song (which I was really hoping he wouldn't do).

Ho-oh and Morty kept up a decent chat for a little while, talking about battles and joking. Morty put up a subject about Ecruteak. He asked how the city was currently. "I'm afraid to say it was reduced to nearly nothing," Ho-oh started. "Although it has Johto's strongest colony. Its members are experts in stealth and strategy, much like you. Ecruteak always remained as the home for experts. Some believe the Ecruteak Colony shall be the one to provide a great army." She said proudly. "I'd sure like to see home." Morty said.

"Now to something important," Ho-oh said after a while, turning to me. "Many will be coming after you now. You've got a strong protector, stay by his side." She said. It was more of an order than a suggestion. "I need to leave soon. I need to get the stolen Plates back." I stated. "Indeed you must. But do you have the faintest idea of where to go?" Ho-oh inquired harshly. I sulked. "N-no, I… don't." I admitted. Ho-oh nodded and 'humphed'. "I thought so. Morty, do me a favor dear, pluck one of my feathers." Ho-oh said, raising her left wing. Morty's eyes widened, but he met Ho-oh's gaze and nodded. His eyes became neon blue and he executed Psychic, energy wrapped around a feather, and then plucked it off. Sunlight hit the feather, beautiful rainbow rays emitting from it. Once Morty took it out of the sun's way the feather became white. I was amazed, and Morty was too. "This is a Rainbow Wing. Take it. This feather shall shimmer in the sun and dim in the dark. However, it will gain the colors of the rainbow whenever something truly amazing is near." Ho-oh stated. Morty handed me the feather, and I carefully picked it up with my mouth. "So, you mean it'll glow if there's a Plate nearby?" Morty questioned. "Exactly. Use it for guidance, Amber." Ho-oh instructed. "I will. Thank you, Bells." I retorted, letting the huge Rainbow Wing fall lightly on my paws.

* * *

_**Michael**_

Mama was fixing my damaged scarf, carefully sowing and washing it. I sat cross-legged on the other side of the mat. Papa sat on the other end of the mat, offering me a cup of tea. I grabbed a cup and drank, sighing at the warm liquid running down my throat. Suddenly Papa lifted his gaze and met my eyes with his own blue ones. He stared at me for a few seconds before he sighed. "_Hijo, _you seem different from before." He stated sharply in his deep voice. "_Lo soy, Papa. _I've gotten stronger." I replied. He crossed his legs and pressed his hands against his knees. "Michael, you do not know the definition of strength. You say you've gotten stronger? I've been told otherwise." He growled. I calmly set my cup on the pink mat, placing my hands on my knees and breaking eye contact with Papa. "Papa, what _have _you been told?" I questioned, not meeting his gaze. "That your friend the Vulpix had quite an interesting battle with an Elekid while you sat and watched as she got hurt. That you had a legendary pokémon face to face and gave up after one hit." He growled.

"_Por favor, _calm down, Arturo. Can you not be happy that Michael has returned home? _Mi hijo," _Mama intervened as she leaned down and cuddle me from behind. "Michelle, don't get me wrong, _comprende, _I'm glad he's safe. But Michael lacks battle skills! All of the years I've spent trying to train him have been wasted, _perdidos esfuerzos." _Papa said, although his tone was gradually rising. Mama looked at him with sad eyes and straightened herself. She angled her red eyes in irritation, glaring at both of us. Then, in an instant, she drew her metal claws and bared her fangs, positioning herself for battle between us. "Mama…" I was stunned. Papa rose to his feet and bared his blades. "Michelle, ¿_qué te pasa? _What's gotten into you?" He demanded as he became wary. "I am sick and tired of you pressuring this family into fighting! As much as I love you, Arturo, this may not continue. _Peléa. _Fight me! And if you win, then Michael shall train under your conditions, but if I win, both our children won't fight, unless they choose to." Mama shouted. Papa raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Michelle?" he questioned, his face softening. "_Sí. _Besides, I am much capable of fighting you." Mama argued. "Mama, you don't have to, _para." _I said. She shook her head. "_Hijo, _I have wanted to do this for some time. _Calma._" She assured me and I sighed.

My parents walked out of our house and ran out into the training field, where Amber's friends had battled earlier. Mama positioned herself to the left and Papa to the right. Oh, why was I always in the middle of problems? I'd never seen Mama fight; she was a rather pacific Lucario, kind and tranquil. Papa, on the other hand, was a hardy, strong Gallade. He was foreign, one of the reasons his English was really good, and apparently he'd been part of an army. That was why he was so strict about his kids being fighters. My older sister had left home because of that.

Papa bowed and allowed Mama to have the first attack. She gladly accepted, lunging at him with her already drawn claws. They were long and made of metal. She crossed her arms and slashed at Papa. He dodged the first attack, but the second onslaught hit him. Dad crouched and jumped up, his blades glowing a faint green, enlarging, and turning into leaves, before slashing Mama all the way up her head with Leaf Blade. She groaned in pain but gripped his blade as fast as she could, shocking Papa. She sniggered. Her metal claws turned into shadows, and Papa recoiled. She let go of him and he jumped back to make distance.

"_Mi amor, _you only use physical attacks. If you are _that _far from me…_bueno, _you cannot hit me." Mama stated. It was true. Although I hadn't seen him battle so much, he'd never used any special attacks, and that was his flaw. Mama had taught me Hidden Power so I wouldn't end up like him. Papa panted as his eyes darted in all directions. Was he looking for something? He fixated them on a flower struggling against the wind, its leaves beginning to rip off from the stem. Papa got up, looking like he knew everything. He made some signs with his blades and suddenly a strong force began to tug at the leaves of the trees. A whole bunch of them ensnared Papa, all glowing several shades of pink and purple. He thrust his arm and pointed at Mama, commanding the leaves to target her. The sharp leaves flew quickly toward Mama, who did a summersault to avoid them. But once she landed on the ground the leaves turned around, and flew at her again. "What is this?" She barked as she kept avoiding them, only to see they kept coming at her. "A good soldier always has an ace up their sleeve. It may be weak, but Magical Leaf will not cease until it's caught its opponent!" Papa declared. A sure-hit attack? Very sneaky of him. Sitting on a tree branch, my legs dangled in the air as I gripped a nearby leaf. Could a simple leaf really become a heat-seeking missile?

Mama drew her claws and swung her arms rapidly in all directions, cutting up the attacking leaves. But there were too many for her to handle, and eventually she was hit. "Mama!" I shouted. There was hardly a scratch on her. "Typical of you, dear. Planning on ending this with light attacks? _Que lindo, _but you can't beat me like that." She said. "Oh?" Papa growled. Mama closed her eyes. He leaned down, joining her paws. I could feel the surrounding aura draw into her. The aura circled into her paws, and as a blue sphere began to enlarge between them, she slowly separated them. Papa's eyes widened. The Aura Sphere in her paws enlarged fully. She raised her arms and herself and flung it at Papa. "_Ojo por ojo," _Mama said as the sphere neared Papa.

Like Magical Leaf, Aura Sphere was a sure-hit move. It would most certainly hit Papa, although it wouldn't be very effective, him being a psychic type. It seemed he knew escaping wasn't an option, because he simply took the attack. Smoke was created due to the blast. Mama's smile faded and she jumped toward him. She knelt and waved her hand, making the smoke go away. "_Mi amor?" _She muttered. I jumped down from my branch and walked toward them. Papa was lying on the grass looking beaten, but nothing too bad. He propelled himself up with his blades and Mama offered him her paw. He took it and she supported him up. They stared at each other lovingly. When I saw them about to kiss, I turned around and crossed my arms. Disgusting!

After a few seconds passed and they hadn't pulled apart, I barked: "I'm still here, you know!". "I guess you've gotten strong, Michelle. And Michael, I know that you, too, are strong." Papa said. I turned to face them. There were big smiles on their faces. "Let's got back home." Mama said, picking me up on her shoulders. "I can walk, you know." I protested. "Oh, let me enjoy this, dear." Mama sang. We were heading back, when suddenly a loud bird's cry reached my ears. Papa turned around sharply, making Mama turn as well. "Deli, deli, deliiiiivery!" A Delibird cried as he descended. He flapped his small wings and landed gently on the grass. "_Hola, _Delibird…" Mama greeted as she leaned down to accept Delibird's letter. The envelope glowed silver. "Who is this for?" Papa inquired. "It is for Calypso of Azalea Village!" Delibird replied. "Okay then." Papa said, taking the envelope from Mama's paws. "By the way," Delibird started. "Deli! The person I was supposed to deliver this to passed away, and I'm looking for someone to take it…" Delibird said, opening his white sack. I peaked inside and saw a green egg with leaf designs and faint white stripes. "I can't take it myself. I've got deliveries to do day and night, twenty four-seven." Delibird muttered sheepishly, brushing the egg lightly. I tried to pick it up, but it was much too heavy. Papa immediately shook his head, but Mama looked like she'd burst into tears. "_Me lo quedo! _There's a baby without a mother in there! I shall raise it," She chirped, looking at Papa and I, then added, "If it is okay with you." I nodded. I had no problem with a new family member. Papa, though, didn't look too excited about it. After a few seconds, he sighed and nodded. Mama took the egg into her arms, lifting it up easily, which annoyed me. Why couldn't I have that kind of strength?

Delibird nodded and saluted. "Thank you! You have taken a huge weight off my shoulders, literally. Have a good day!" Delibird said as he flapped his wings and flew away. "Let's get this to Lady Calypso. It must be important." Papa said. "_Bien_, let us leave. Michael?" Mama said as they turned to leave. I ran after them.

"Lady Calypso, a Delibird came by and left this telegram for you." Papa said as he knelt politely and held out the envelope to Lady Calypso. We were inside her home, a cabin much bigger than the rest. Her home was of only one room, like the rest, and consisted of a hay stack she claimed was her bed, a large mirror, a wardrobe, a few pots and pans she used to cook with fire, plants, torches, and two windows. The roof was made of hay and leaves, but the walls were solid wood, unlike the other cabins. Yes, the Main House was made for the village leader only. She lived with her son, who wasn't present today. He'd said he was off hunting.

Lady Calypso rubbed her chin thoughtfully before roughly taking the letter from Papa's hand. We were used to her harshness. That trait was vital in a leader, or so I'd been taught. A leader must be strong, hardcore, loyal… and many other things. Although Azalea's leader was cold to the bone, we all loved her. She'd give her life for the smallest pokémon. She ripped open the envelope and pulled out a rectangular artifact. She placed it on her palm. It was blue and had a small screen. "¿_Qué es esto?" _She questioned as she looked at it. Mama shook her head. Papa examined it. Well, I sure didn't know what it was. "It's got a button here. I think we should…press it?" Papa suggested. Since I was on the floor and Calypso was huge, I couldn't see her actions, but I knew she'd pressed something.

A blue light flashed six times across the room. Lady Calypso nearly dropped the object in shock. I blinked, trying to fix my eyes. Mama and Papa had flinched. A veil of blue light extended from the small screen and took the shape of a…bush? "Greetings, Lady Calypso. I am a Shaymin belonging to the Federal Rebel Institution and I would like to speak to you." The hologram said with a male voice. "C? For heaven's sake, I know you! And what is this contraption? It nearly blinded my soldiers!" Lady Calypso protested, clenching her fanglike teeth. "It's a holographic message, Calypso. Join us in 3058, will you?" The hologram said. "I'd rather stay in the stone age, C. State your business!" Lady Calypso said. "Very well, Calypso. We of the Federal Rebel Institution have received the shocking news that the Chosen One currently resides in your village. He or she has a vital spot in our plans, and we need him or her with us by next month. Do you think you can send the Chosen One to Stahlkraft City? I will send an escort team, of course." The hologram said. Lady Calypso took no time to reply. "No, don't send anyone. I have fine escorts of my own. Oh, and the Chosen One is a 'she'. I can assure you she'll arrive safely." She said. "But, our escorts are professionals! Calypso, I swear, I'll go there myself if…!" Calypso cut it off. "_Adios!" _She said as she threw the object against the wall and it broke.

My heartbeats sped up. Another assignment for Amber? They were sending her to Stahlkraft, an isolated city near Ecruteak. The place was crawling with criminals and Omegans, not the best place to be. Would she ever return? If I wanted to make sure of that, I'd have to accompany her myself. "Lady Calypso…I ask for your permission to leave Azalea and escort Amber to Stahlkraft." I said. My parents gasped and their eyes widened. Lady Calypso smirked, looking down at me and examining me. "It seems you've taken a liking to this Vulpix, have you not? If adventure you want…then you may go. I'll allow Amber to choose with whom she wishes to go. Report to me before sunset. _Buena suerte, joven guerrero." _She said. I bowed to her. "_Gracias."_ I thanked before I turned and ran out at full speed before my parents could object, which I knew they'd do.

Closing my eyes, I began to focus on Amber's aura. I could barely sense it. I let her aura guide me, and before I knew it, I was in front of a cabin. Her aura had gotten stronger, and it was something very powerful. Her aura felt like a thousand burning flames; that's how strong it was. I walked into the cabin without knocking and bumped into someone's leg. His aura was extremely familiar, so I looked up and locked eyes with my master. "Master Xepher!" I cried. He looked down at me with his sea green eyes and smiled. "Michael! _Que bien! _How is your training?" Xepher asked, picking me up. I sat on his shoulder like usual. "I've mastered a few skills. I can infiltrate dreams now." I replied. Xepher laughed. "Oh, I know that. Your friend won't quit complaining about it!" He joked. I laughed nervously and turned my head toward who was surely there. And there she was, slumped on the hay bed as she glared at me. "I've told you a million times Michael, stop messing with my dreams!" Amber barked. "Hey, I fixed your nightmares! You should be grateful." I replied. "I can deal with my own nightmares!" She retorted. "Oh, well, _excuse _me for trying to help!" I yelled.

"Cut if out, please! I find this fighting unnerving." Xepher shouted. "Fine, then. It was nice seeing you again Xepher, but I have an important meeting to attend." Amber said as she jumped off the bed and walked toward the exit. "Wait, I need to talk to you, Amber." I said. "Tell me later." She yawned as she left the cabin. I sighed heavily. "Women," Xepher started. "Can't stand them, but can't live without them." Xepher laughed. "True." I said. "By the way, I have great news." Xepher said, motioning me to sit down. I slumped down on his hay bed and spread my arms and legs. "Yeah, what is it?" I asked. "Haven't you wondered where Foolish is?" He asked. I realized I hadn't seen him all day. "No, I haven't…he's usually with you." I stated. "He is. In here." Xepher said as he pulled out a round object from his pocket. It was a shiny black crystal ball with golden dust flowing inside of it; a heartball. "You've…you've become an Iuncta Pectora?" I asked, shocked. He nodded happily. "Yes! After so long, you and I may be bonded. It is what you wanted, right?" Xepher asked, holding up a clear HeartBall, empty.

I'd always wanted Xepher to be my partner. He was my teacher_. _Under normal circumstances, I would've jumped at the chance. But right now…I had a mission…and friends to take care of. I couldn't join Xepher yet. I explained all of this to him; he seemed sad, but nodded and smiled. "I understand, Michael. You should tell Amber that you'll be accompanying her, though. She might get mad if you don't say anything." He advised. I nodded. "Oh gods, I really don't want her angry. I'll go inform her. Goodbye, master."

* * *

_**Nicole **_

Night had fallen. I was making my way to the front of the shrine, where a big campfire lit the area. I joyfully walked over like a VIP, and took my seat in the circle of pokemon. It took me a few seconds to remember Fuego was now an Infernape, and sat as the top authority of the Reborn Club. He pounded his chest when I arrived. Hoja's palm met his face as he begged Fuego to 'stop embarrassing him'. I heard Amber's giggle, but she wasn't sitting anywhere. After a closer look, I found out she was lounging _inside _the freaking fire! I mean, how could she DO that?

"I have called this meeting tonight because we have lost a member, unfortunately." Fuego started. Amber's face turned sad like mine. "I always knew he was up to no good." Hoja scoffed. I growled at him. "BUT, we have a new member! Come on, Foolish, don't be shy." Fuego invited. There was a rustle in the bushes before I saw a pair of glowing fuchsia eyes and a yellow ring above them. A pitch black Umbreon emerged from the shadows, sitting back on his hind legs beside Hoja in our circular formation. "I'm not shy, I'm wary." Umbreon said. "My name is Foolish, but I am also known as Bazalt, and I hate all of you." He said. Surely, he was kidding. After all, I _was _very lovable.

"Tonight we also welcome back Amber and Nicole from their little trip." Fuego chirped. A few low cheers was all it took for me to blush and laugh nervously. Amber's friend Shadow, the Gastly, looked happier than he should've been. He floated beside Hoja, staring intently at Amber in the fire. I'd never understood that guy. He was…nice, but weird. Never once had he spoken to me directly. Nor had I to him. He used to spend his time with Amber, but ever since we'd left our colony in Veilstone, Shadow and Amber had been more distant. Maybe he was hoping she'd remember their friendship?

"There's something we need to discuss," Fuego started. "It's about our human sides." Hoja finished. I perked an eyebrow. "Go on." Foolish said. "You see, I've been having a lot of human memories in my sleep. I was wondering if any of you had the same problem as well." Fuego said seriously. I didn't have the problem. Amber's eyes shot wide open. "Fuego…what kind of dreams?" She asked. Fuego looked at her. "Well…I remembered the time when I got my first pokemon, when I lost the Pokemon League, my last Christmas…many events." Fuego said. "I had a memory in a dream, too, but only once." Foolish said suddenly. We turned to him. "I remembered the time I met my partner Xepher when he was a Zorua." Foolish stated, refusing to give more detail. "I remembered the time I finished reading the largest book in history." Shadow said shyly. "I've also had memories." Amber declared. "What were they about?" Hoja asked. "I remembered when I met my true love, met my first pokemon, won and became a Champion, the time I came to the Ilex Forest to check the shrine, and my father's funeral." Amber said sadly. Her eyes were somewhat lost and sorrowful.

Fuego's face turned thoughtful. "It seems they're memories of important moments…but why are they coming back?" He muttered. "Maybe we'd forgotten them?" I offered. "That can't be it." Hoja scoffed. I glared at him. He'd always been a super jerk with me. That was why we were always at each other's throats. The only reason I wasn't strangling him right now was because we were in an important meeting. But I swear, if I could get my paws on him…

"Um, excuse me, I have a theory," Shadow started. We all turned to look at him. He smiled shyly. "What if…our human selves…want to get out?" He finished. We all gasped. "We are humans trapped in pokemon. We might like it but…" Shadow began. I shook my head and stood up.

"Our human selves…don't want these pokemon bodies anymore."

* * *

**Sorry for the long delay guys. But I got Pokemon Black as soon as it came (waited one hour in line at Gamestop!) and I had to study up the game and new pokemon. I've entered ****the league, beaten Alder and entered the Hall of Fame 11 times and captured all the legends. I've also kicked mayor butt and now I'm some kind of celebrity at my school for being the strongest trainer. Congratulate me, I own every single legendary pokemon in existence, including Meloetta, Keldeo, and Genesect. Sure, I don't have all the legends IN my Black, but between all my games, I have them all. Anyway, I also have Pokemon White (bought it last week) and now I have Zekrom. Epic cry! But I'm still Team Reshiram. **

**Black team: Emboar, Chandelure, Unfezant (F), Sawsbuck, Hydreigon, Reshiram.**

**White Team: Samurott, Simisear, Lilligant, Braviary, Vanilluxe, Zekrom. **

**Well, the main reason why I hadn't updated was because my computer has many viruses! I managed to finish this chapy on my Mom's laptop, bless her, but I don't know if I'll be able to make chapter 15 (which I already started) as long as I planned because of this problem. But, I'll make Chapter 15 a nice surprise for you all! I'm going to include BW pokemon in that chapter, so finish your games quick.**

**PS: SO…fangirls who are reading this and have played Black/White…WHAT DO YOU THINK OF N? He's a dream! *fangirl squeal* I MISS HIM SO DAMN MUCH! *cries***

**So, here are some special character profiles.**

_**Name: Fuego Starstone**_

_**Species: Infernape**_

_**Level: 45**_

_**Nature: Naughty**_

_**Moves: Shadow Claw, Flame Wheel, Fire Punch, Thunder Punch, Fire Spin, Fury Swipes, Mach Punch, Close Combat (not yet shown).**_

_**Ability: Blaze**_

_**Preferred food: Spicy**_

_**Age: 3 years **_

_**Name: Morty Salvador**_

_**Species: Mismagius**_

_**Level: 50**_

_**Nature: Modest**_

_**Moves: Shadow Ball, Pain Split, Psybeam, Psychic, Perish Song, Mean Look, Thunderbolt, Hex (not yet shown).**_

_**Ability: Levitate**_

_**Preferred food: Bitter**_

_**Age: 2 years**_

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN! **


	16. Here We Go Again

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Fifteen

Here We Go Again

"_Again? But I just got back!" _

"_I do not care, you have been summoned! I will send escorts with you so you may reach Stahlkraft safely." _

"_Can't I stay a little longer? I mean, I want to spend time with Morty and my friends…" _

"_Alright. You have one week. After that, you leave for Stahlkraft. Lady Ho-oh will take you to Ecruteak when you are ready. _Ahora, ve!_" _

I was sitting back on my hind legs on top of a grassy hill. Beautiful white moonflowers were starting to bloom. The breeze blew by and rustled them, and my hair. "So, when does it start?" I asked. Morty groaned and got up from the ground, where he'd been resting. "I have no idea. It's not midnight yet. But according to the locals, Ameithus throws some wicked parties, so we should be able to see them from here." He said. "I haven't seen one of these in forever." I said. "I didn't get to see the last one. Sinnoh's very silent…as if it's turned bitter." Morty replied.

"Hey, is that Fuego down there?" I said as I sat up to look at a fiery mane downhill. Morty looked over and sweat-dropped. "Yep, that's him alright. What's he up to this time?" He wondered. "Is that a…" I took a closer look and gasped. "Is that a…firework?" I asked, horrified. "It is, and they're lighting the fuse!" Morty shouted, afraid. There Fuego was, downhill, breathing a Fire Spin into the fuse of a box filled with striped rockets. His brother Hoja was holding the box steady, adding in some firecrackers and other junk. Were they suicidal? Or were they homicidal?

A loud screech signalized the launch of the rockets. They all flew to different directions, leaving behind a trail of sparkles as they aimed toward the sky. But some came right at us! I tackled Morty out of the way of the incoming rockets. Just barely, they missed us, going up and up until…_BAM!_ A thousand colorful embers burst from the fireworks, decorating the sky in the shape of a star. "Wow!" I muttered in awe as I admired it. Morty got up and looked at the sky.

"The countdown's going to begin any minute now!" Shadow came floating excitedly. Shadow had evolved into Haunter shortly after my return. He still wore glasses over his blue eyes, and there was still that shy tone to his voice. However, he had started to act quite naughty lately. "What time is it?" I asked. Shadow brought his ghostly hand to his face and looked at the watch he was holding. "It's…" He gasped. "Ten!" He shouted. The countdown was beginning. It was starting!

A long line of sparks flew into the sky from the north. As I looked at it, I realized it was a firework from Ameithus City. When it exploded into the sky, green sparks created the shape of the number "10".

"Nine!" Fuego shouted from below. Ameithus shot another rocket, but this one exploded into a brown "9".

"Eight!" Hoja shouted rather happily, which was odd. Another rocket exploded into a yellow "8".

"Seven!" Nicole shouted as she ran uphill to watch. Another rocket went into the sky and exploded into a pink "7".

"Six!" I heard Michael shout from the tree he was sitting on. A rocket exploded into a blue "6".

"Five!" Sasuka shouted from downhill, where she was fooling around with Fuego's fireworks. She accidentally set off a firework into the sky and intercepted with Ameithus's rocket, and when they exploded together, it looked like a green-brown number "5" that had been puked on and ran over by a Donphan. Still, pretty creative.

"Four!" I heard Michael's mother shout from her tree. A white number "4" exploded into the sky.

"Three!" Michael's father shouted. A dark brown "3" exploded in the sky.

"Two!" Morty shouted. A rocket burst into a purple "2".

"One!" I screamed, and as I did, a big rocket shot into the sky, and when it exploded, thousands of red sparks rained down, but the ones that remained up created a sizzling, red number "1".

"Happy New Year!" We all boomed. Hundreds of colorful fireworks were shot into the sky, both from Ameithus and Azalea. I also saw others, but they were farther up north, far away and barely visible, so I guessed they were shot by Ecruteak. "Look, I got my paws on some of these!" Nicole said as she dropped a bag full of colorful striped rockets. She grabbed one red rocket and planted it firmly on the ground. She fidgeted with the fuse, but couldn't light it. "Allow me." I said, chuckling. Nicole moved away and I stared at the fuse. I inhaled deeply, and unleashed a weak Flamethrower. The fuse became lit, and the spark began to ascend the string. "Duck!" Morty shouted. Nicole and I jumped out of the way as the rocket took off with a loud screech, spiraling into the sky. It exploded into beautiful multicolored sparks that took the form different symbols: raindrop, lightning bolt, leaf, and fire. It kept repeating the symbols until the spark faded into the night.

I was happy to know that old traditions had survived through all these years. It was refreshing to see a fireworks display. It reminded me of the celebrations I'd thrown at the Indigo Plateau every year for all my friends and challengers. Since I'd been the biggest authority in Kanto, I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. I'd thrown so many parties, specially thrown fireworks.

This time was different. I had new friends. I was a Vulpix. I was a nobody, a needle in a hay stack. We were out in the wild. There were no stars in the sky. It was the year 3059.

And I loved it all.

* * *

I helped Michael strap his bag on and he walked up Ho-oh's wing until he reached her back. Nicole trailed behind him excitedly. I sighed. _Here we go again, on another journey_. I thought. All thanks to this mysterious "C" person. Who was he, anyway? And what the heck was the Federal Rebel Institution?

I'd chosen Michael and Nicole as my _escorts_. I'd chosen Morty too, but Calypso prevented him from going. So instead, I'd picked Sasuka, after listening to an hour of Anton's begging. She happily ran up Ho-oh's back and sat down, beginning an endless chat with Nicole. This was going to be a long trip.

"Don't forget to call. We'd like to hear about what you're doing." Morty said as he helped me with Psychic to adjust my new communicator, which looked like a hands-free speakerphone. It was the same as the one he wore, only his was purple to blend in with his skin. "Yeah, yeah, I know." I said. "And don't forget to keep the Rainbow Wing clean and tidy, you hear? It's a gift from Lady Ho-oh." Morty said. I giggled. "The feather's fine, Morty. No need to worry about it." I assured. The Rainbow Wing had shrunken down and I was wearing it on my hair against my ear.

Fuego walked up to me and gave me a rough pat on the back. "Stay safe, kido." He said. I tried not to recoil from his abrupt pat. "Erm, you too, fire-butt." I said. Morty sniggered and Fuego's mouth fell open. "You taught her that!" He growled, pointing an accusing finger at Morty. "Yes, I did. And since I'm a ghost, I can do this." Morty said as he faded out from view and became a cloud of shadows. Fuego waved his hand violently into it, but it only made the shadows disperse. "You're enjoying this, aren't you, ballerina?" He growled. "I kind of am." Morty said as he materialized behind me.

"_GYO! _C'mon, now. We must take our leave if we are to arrive before sunrise." Ho-oh said. "Just one more minute." I said. I bid goodbye to Xepher, Foolish, Shadow, and Hoja. Ethan would be staying behind as well. I turned to him. "Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Ethan?" I asked. He slipped his forked tongue out. "I'm possssitive. I need to find my bossss, Canella!" He hissed. "We'll miss you." I smiled. "I'll missss you too! Don't make cry! I musssst be sssstrong, and give my bossss the good newssss that the Chossssen One is among ussss!" Ethan said, crying fake tears that he probably kept in a bottle. He flashed us a sincere grin, and for the first time, it didn't look creepy.

"Remember to keep in touch. I'll be waiting for you right here." Morty assured me as he lifted me onto Ho-oh with his Psychic. "Love you," I said as I sat down firmly on Ho-oh's back. With one flap of her wings, we started to leave the ground. "Love you too, Amber!" Morty shouted through the speakerphone.

We sped through the sky calmly. I'd come to the conclusion that Ho-oh was a rather gentle pokemon. She enjoyed soaring the sky, even with passengers on her back. She kept so focused, her eyes fixated on the road/sky.

"Did you know that Galvantula makes webs filled with electricity? Did you know that Duskull only has one eye? Did you know that Clefable can hear things from miles away?" Sasuka asked Michael, her eyes seeming to pop out of their sockets as she shouted. Michael was backing away, sweat-dropping. "What are you, a walking encyclopedia?" He barked. "Did you know Skitty chases its own tail until it tires out?" Sasuka chirped. Nicole put on a face of disgust. "That's not true! I never did that, not even once!" She barked. Sasuka flinched. "Erm…sorry…" She mumbled. "C'mon Nicole, don't be such a meanie. The kid just wants to sound smart, isn't that right, Sasuka?" I said as I walked over to Sasuka and faced Nicole. Sasuka nodded and smiled, and Nicole had no choice but to curl up and begin a nap without another word.

"She's scary." Sasuka said once we were sure Nicole was sleeping. "You'll get used to it." Michael said. He crossed his legs and sat up, rummaging around his bag. He pulled out an old book. Its purple color was very faded, and there were strange diamond-like markings all around it. Michael brushed it with his paw lightly, cleaning up the dust.

I caught myself staring at that book for a long time as he carefully opened it. The pages had yellowed and some were burned at the corners. Finally, I gave in to the curiosity and decided to ask. "Michael, what's that book?" He looked up from the pages to lock eyes with me. "This is a copy of a very old book. The author was human, and he wrote a lot of interesting things in here." He stated, turning back to the first page. "He lived in Johto, so this might contain some information about Stahlkraft, even if this thing is centuries old." Michael said. He motioned for us to sit down and read with him, so we did. He began to read the first page aloud.

"_Ever since I was a child I've been fascinated by legendary pokemon. To be more specific, I became enamored with the north wind, Suicune. And so I left my home of Kanto and came to Johto._" Michael began to read. He was a very good reader, spelling every word correctly, focused on what he read, and very fast. I nudged him to continue. "_I spent more than ten years gathering information and chasing this pokemon. I almost cornered it in Ecruteak, but it fled. In the same city, I met my only friend."_

"_Johto has very magnificent places. The city of Goldenrod, unfortunately, was burned down and rebuilt as Ameithus City. This happened between 2010 and 2013, quite fast. But I also remember the year 2012, the year the Burned Tower in Ecruteak was reduced to dust. The Bell Tower caught on fire, but survived. That same year, just a few days after said incidents, my best friend tried to unleash his vendetta on the evil dictator. But…he couldn't, and was killed. I kept his pokemon as my own, but they were very depressed and unable to fight._

_In 2020, Olivine City was threatened, and in 2025, it was destroyed. I was a middle-aged man when they began to rebuild it in 2040. The new city was the highest when it came to technology, and they named it after the element the Gym used to represent, Stahlkraft. I know that 'stahl' means 'steel' and 'kraft' means 'power'." _Michael stopped to clear his throat. "So Stahlkraft City means Steel power? That's kind of uncreative." Sasuka said. We nodded. "_My theory is that they named this city after the Gym that was once here. But after all the Gym Leaders were exterminated, my best friend Morty and Olivine's leader Yasmine included, strange things began to happen._ _Ecruteak and Stahlkraft seem to have become…haunted." _Michael read. He stopped to turn the page. I was trying to process all I'd heard. The author had been one of Morty's friends? What was most incredible was the Gym Leaders had all been exterminated. But all of them between 2010 and 2040? After thirty years no Gym Leader remained in the world…

"_I live here in Stahlkraft and have given up my dreams about Suicune. Even though this place is very marvelous, the government is very active here. I cannot go one step without being watched by an authority. Over the years, the law has become more and more strict, and I'm sick and tired of it." _Michael paused to breathe. "_There's nothing I can do about that, though. The pokemon I'd kept from my friend often tried to encourage me to fight, but I have lost all desire to. I lost Sableye and Dusknoir to illness. Mismagius and Drifblim died at an accident. The younger Gengar one day disappeared. I am left with the oldest Gengar, my friend's trusted partner. We want to leave Stahlkraft…we want to go to Ecruteak and pray to Ho-oh. But now, nobody is allowed to leave this damned city." _

I wanted him to continue, but Michael crashed after a few more paragraphs. He was panting and laying on his back. Sasuka took the book and carefully placed it where I could see clearly. I turned the page. I studied the page to decide if I could skip some paragraphs. I kept reading. "_In the winter, more than hundreds of people die from the brutal cold. In the summer, we get harsh droughts. During autumn, the crops wither. And during the spring, when everything is supposed to be good, we get the worst of all. An inspector comes during the spring, and he is on the top of my 'most hated' list. In conclusion, I hate Stahlkraft."_ I read. I wasn't an expert reader like Michael; it'd been very long since I last held a book.

Stahlkraft City sounded horrible. Suddenly, I didn't want to go. I wanted to stay at Azalea…but I had a duty to perform. Even if it did suck…what other option did I have? It was as if I'd been reborn to do nothing but follow orders. This 'Chosen One' title wasn't what many thought; it wasn't an authorizing, honorable, loved title. Being the Chosen One was like being chained up, unable to make my own decisions. Sure, I wanted the world rid of the dictator, but for me to be the only one who could do it was incredible. Why? Why me?

I sigh and closed the book. Uncaringly, I lay down on it. I wanted to keep reading later. Maybe I could show the book to Morty, to see what he thought about it... I could speak to him with the speaker-phone I had, but that wasn't the same. But how long would it be before I saw him again?

Little did I know that it'd be a very long time before I could return.

* * *

_**Nicole**_

I stretched my body and sat up. Now Amber and Michael were sleeping, but Sasuka was chatting with Ho-oh. It would be a while before I could grow accustomed to this wild Absol. Not only was she very hyper, but her body color was a total enigma. Normal Absol weren't grey and purple. Just who was she? She reminded me of Mistress Jirachi, who was red and silver. My mistress was also an enigma, but from what I'd heard, Jirachi hadn't been born that way. My mother had told me that Jirachi became infected with some sort of space virus that mutated her genes and changed her. But aside from body coloring and knowing the dragon-type-pokemon-exclusive move Draco Meteor, she had no other unusual traits of which I knew.

So comparing Sasuka to Star, I figured this girl had something _else _out of the ordinary. I looked at her, how she smiled as she spoke to Ho-oh, how her eyes shimmered happily, how her grey fur was rustled by the wind. Then I noticed the necklace around her neck. It was a long black thread from which hung a beautiful gem. Just what was that? Was it some sort of magic thingy?

"We're here." Ho-oh said as she began to descend. She dove like a bullet and I had to hold on to her feathers for dear life. Amber and Michael had woken up with a start and reacted the same way I did. We screamed as Ho-oh rapidly went down. Suddenly, she came to a halt, and roosted atop the roof of the Bell Tower. Michael lost his grip and came tumbling down Ho-oh's back. "Michael!" Amber shouted as she let go and fell after him. Sasuka released her grasp and slid down screaming in joy. "Weeeeeeeeee!" She shouted. Err…okay…she was weird. "Are you not getting off, dear?" Ho-oh questioned. "WHAT?" Did she really expect me to let go and just jump to death? She was insane!

Ho-oh didn't wait for my reply. She began to shake violently until I could no longer hold on. I fell. And as I did, I screamed. I expected a painful crash, but instead, I landed on something cold and soft; a pile of snow. When I sat up correctly, I saw that Amber and Michael were engaged in a fierce snowball fight, but I couldn't understand HOW Amber could make snowballs without hands. I realized she was making them with her tails. She controlled them like hands, using all six to shape the snow into a ball and then hurling it at Michael. Sasuka was slashing apart snowballs that came at her with her horn.

Stupid Ho-oh knew we'd land here, didn't she? Pfft, and here I was worrying. I looked up to see the mighty Bell Tower rising like a hundred feet above the ground, and only Ho-oh's spiky gold tail could be seen. She was starting to retreat, her form beginning to disintegrate. I wondered where exactly did legendary pokemon go. When the Great Absol had summoned Ho-oh, she'd come out of nowhere. If she didn't live at the Bell Tower, where did she go? Was it even an abstract place? Or was it really…what people called 'Heaven'? Was there really a Heaven?

A snowball smashing against my face snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned around sharply and snarled, but another snowball smacked me. When the snow cleared from my vision, I could see Amber with a wide smirk on her face. Her tails were working on another snowball as she looked at me. "Oh, it's on." I growled. Amber crouched and her tails flung a snowball at me, but I swung my tail and smacked it back at her. The snowball collided with her face and she fell down. "Epic Sucker Punch, nya." Sasuka said.

Sucker Punch? When did I learn that move? All I'd done was hit the snowball back…that was a move? I looked at my tail. I noticed it'd taken a deep purple color, the color dark type moves usually took. I put on a cocky grin and readied my tail for action.

Michael stared at me. "Amber, maybe this isn't a good idea." He said. Amber got up and fumed. "Oh, I'll show her! NICOLE! TRY TO BLOCK THIS!" Amber said as her tails formed three snowballs that were hurled at me. I smacked them all with my tail. They hit Amber again, but fire flared from her body and melted them. "So that's how it's gonna be…" I growled.

Pretty soon we began a snowball war. Michael was hesitant as he threw snowballs, so he got hit the most. Amber built a snow fort. Sasuka was trying to avoid us, but failing. I was so freaking tired, but I wasn't going to let myself get defeated!

It went on like that for hours. I had so much fun!

Okay, fun over. We were setting up the wood for the campfire. Once we deemed the pile worthy, Amber breathed flames into it and the fire ignited. We all sat down and watched the dancing flames.

Micahel pulled out that old book again from his bag. He opened it on the last pages. "Check this out." Michael said as he pointed to a certain paragraph. We all looked closely into it, but he started to read aloud. "_…I now know how to return to life in another era. Soon, I shall come back, but not as the petty human I am today, I shall return, reborn into the body of the north wind." _He read. Amber and I shared confused looks. "I don't get it." I said. "It's obvious. The author knew about rebirth. And how to be reborn." Michael explained. "Is that even possible?" Amber mumbled. "Maybe it's like getting a reservation?" Sasuka said shyly. It sounded like a good way to put things. "But how?" Amber said.

"We'll look into it later. Right now, I'm beat. Want to join me in snooze land?" Michael yawned. "Yes, please." Amber said as she slumped onto the snow. Sasuka didn't say anything as she curled up and closed her eyes.

I was left alone for a few minutes staring into the fire. I had to think about a lot of things…like what the book contained. Amber had told me everything about it. Stahlkraft sounded like Hell. I didn't want to go. But as long as I was with Amber, I'd go to the end of the world. She was my best friend, I had no other option. Michael was also my friend, but we weren't as close as I was with Amber. At least Michael didn't get on my nerves like Hoja used to. He was a very nice guy. My eyelids were becoming heavy. I gave in to the sleep, curled up, and closed my eyes.

For the first time in my life, I had nightmares.

* * *

**I know you guys hate me o3o**

**I'm very sorry for my late updates. It's just that I like writing chapter 16 more than this one! And yes, I was working on both at the same time. I don't have much to say about this chapter, except that I'm really looking forward to writing more about Sasuka and the upcoming character, C. Thanks for your OC's, Sasukakira and somerandomguy42! They are much appreciated. **

**Alright, so as usual, he is a character profile for you guys.**

_**Name: Sasuka**_

_**Species: Absol**_

_**Current Level: 29**_

_**Nature: Jolly**_

_**Moves: Crunch, Wish, Faint Attack, Future Sight, Quick Attack.**_

_**Ability: Justified **_

_**Preferred food: Sweet.**_

_**Age: *Unknown***_

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	17. The General's Assault

**Looking for a beta reader!**

* * *

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Sixteen

The General's Assault

_**Static**_

In my hand I held a necklace made of thin, black thread. It was delicate, yet unbreakable. Two beautiful beads hung by the thread, one bright green and the other deep purple. Every time I would try to feel them I'd recoil from the burns they caused. And so, I couldn't wear it around my neck, like it was supposed to.

Everytime I looked at that necklace, it reminded me of her. Her face of joy when she saw me, the face of raw anger when she fought me, and the face of sorrow she had as we parted. Remembering her face stung my heart, because not only was I hurt, I'd hurt her too. Hurt her deeply, in fact. If only that blasted Riolu hadn't detected my intentions, I could've offered her to come with me. Alas, she was far away. I had no more friends; I'd left them all behind.

A felt the harsh crash of the escape pod against the ground. The pod shook violently and threw me in several directions. When the shaking ceased, the door wouldn't open, so I charged electricity into my fist and broke an opening into the metal. I hopped off, and immediately noticed a second escape pod crashed near the river. A huge hole was broken into it; Nexus had already arrived. Unfortunately, I was on the other side of the river, so I'd have to come up with some epic way to cross it without killing a thousand Magikarp with my electricity. I neared the water and paused in deep thought. There was a small trail of rocks that led all the way to the other side. So I decided to leap rock from rock until I got there.

After crossing the river I looked up for assurance. The immense mountain was so tall its apex was hidden by the clouds. Tall grass surrounded it and the river. The entrance was wide and dark, like usual, so I focused electricity all over my body to make myself a walking-flashlight. Faint light came from the lightning bolt design on my chest and I quickly walked inside. The humid air was frigid and uninviting, not to mention the stink. The ground was rocky and wet. I could hear the roar of the near, mighty waterfall as I climbed a rocky wall. I reached the top of that small hill and headed for the entrance of the headquarters. To a normal pokemon it would look like an ordinary wall. It looked like that to me, too, but I knew it was only a hologram to mask the door. I pressed my hand against it and then recited the password. "Divine Triad" The wall faltered and disappeared to reveal a hollow archway. It looked empty, but when I touched the insides with my claw, a transparent ripple spread around that space. Yes, the portal was functional. I walked through, and as soon as I did, I was inside the cold, bright, laboratory.

I greeted the working scientists as I walked forward with authority. I went through a few doors of the HQ until I arrived at the First Aid room. The lights were brighter here, which made me flinch a little when I entered. I blinked a few times until I could see correctly. There were six beds, two of them occupied. Nexus sat on one of them. Nurse Audino was tending to the wounds he had on his human side, cleaning up the blood and wrapping his damaged body in bandages. When she was finished with his human side, the doctor Bisharp came to fix his robot side. Bisharp wasn't that much of a doctor; he worked on robots, so if a robot or cyborg got broken, he was the doctor for them. He noticed Nexus was missing his robot hand, so he went over to a table and made a new one in record time. He attached it to Nexus, who immediately began to stretch his new fingers. "It must've been a rough battle," Bisharp started. "You're literally falling to pieces." He finished as he picked up a screw that'd just popped out from Nexus's leg. His face had been fixed, although one of his eyes was bright orange now. The other was red, like always, since it was his real eye. "I never expected to fight a fire type pokemon, of all possibilities. That Vulpix set our ship on fire, so we had to evacuate. I do not know if Agent Elekid made it here unharmed, though." Nexus said. So, he still hadn't seen me standing there.

"Oh, Agent Elekid, nice to see you survived." Bisharp greeted me. Nexus turned his eyes to me and grinned, but then frowned. "You are wounded. You should be treated." He pointed out. It didn't take too much brain capacity to know that. Bisharp lifted me up onto a bed and threw a sack at me. "Pick whichever berry you need, Audino and I will be right back." He said as they left the room. As I ate a Sitrus berry, I could hear the beeping of the IP unit. Mewtwo was resting on a bed, hooked to all sorts of things, his heartbeats dull. His eyes were wide open, glaring at the ceiling. His arms were folded across his scarred chest.

"Our mission was a failure." Nexus stated with a sigh after a while. "Not completely. We did get the Plates." I said. "The Plates are worthless without the Chosen One to control them. They are also indestructible, so we won nothing." Mewtwo spat, still glaring at the ceiling. "We lost Airship BW050, too. And all of the other BW's too." Nexus said. BW stood for 'Biomegas Weapon', if I recalled correctly. These were mostly transport vehicles, and there were a hundred of each weapon. So according to Nexus, we'd lost fifty airships. "I don't care about the airship." Mewtwo said. "Then what is it that bothers you, General?" I asked. "That girl," He started. My heart dropped. "That Sophia girl…she came back from the dead…just to fight me. She beat death…to get back at me. To rub it in my face that she is once again young, and look at me. I've aged." Mewtwo said. "General, you are nowhere near death. You are immortal now, remember?" Nexus said. "I am…But Hell! It's still unfair! How…how did she return in the form of a pokémon? To mock me? Or to match me in power? As a human she stood no chance, but now she has power, and she's going to use it against me…Damn!" Mewtwo slammed his fist down on the bed in rage. Mewtwo didn't understand rebirth, probably why he'd been awed at me. Mewtwo had never been a fan of life, just of his own.

Just then, the door creaked open. Mewtwo's human wife (yes, that's right, _human) _marched in with a scowl plastered on her face. She saluted us before walking up to Mewtwo and grabbing his scorched hand. She examined his body up and down before sighing. "I guess you failed." She said with her stern voice. He groaned. "Yes, miserably. You must take care of matters for me while I recover, my dear Dominique." Mewtwo replied, locking eyes with her. She took back her gloved hand and saluted. "General Armstrong, at your service." She said. She had a delicate French accent.

Dominique Armstrong was a tall, lavish woman who led Biomegas's main Johto army and had very attractive body traits. Her perfect, shiny, straight blood-red hair cascaded down her lower back and fell over the right side of her face, completely hiding her left eye. Her wide, angled eye (since the other was hidden) had sea-green irises so deep it was as if she could stare right into your soul. Her skin was pale and she had full lips. She had decently large *ahem* breasts and nice curves. She wore her regular navy blue General uniform, along with her black combat boots, white gloves and black silk scarf around her neck (which wasn't part of her uniform, but she wore it to keep herself warm). Hanging by her belt were her trusty ray gun and her fierce leather whip. Her physical elegancy and beauty was enough to lure in even a pokemon, like Mewtwo.

Mewtwo stood up from his bed, groaning at every movement he made, aiming to embrace his wife. Dominique was the only living being he actually cared for, yet she never returned his gestures, or at least, not when I was around. Maybe she was the timid type? …No, she didn't look like it. She caught Mewtwo as he stumbled, and helped the psychic pokemon back to bed. "My love, I request a private chat with Agent Elekid." Armstrong requested. Mewtwo thought about it for a second, and then nodded. "Granted." He said. Shivers ran down my spine as Armstrong opened the door and gestured me to follow her. I hopped off the bed, my feet protesting against the ache, and I walked outside into the hallways.

I walked silently behind General Armstrong through the dark hallway for what felt like hours but were mere minutes. "My husband took quite a beating, and from that infamous Vulpix?" She seethed after a while. "Yes, my General. My frie- I mean, _former _friend Amber was quite a formidable foe." I replied. The redhead woman halted, before lowering her head and chuckling. "I'm glad I found you that day, agent. Do you remember that day, Static?" Armstrong asked, turning around to lock eyes with me. As I stared into her green orb, memories began to flash back into my mind. The memory of _that _day…

_A nice and peaceful summer day was blessing the residents of the Nimbassa colony. Their leader, a proud Electivire, marched around inspecting the crops and greeting the farming pokemon. Nimbassa was a peaceful colony, reduced over the years into a rather rural area. They didn't have much technology, nothing more than what the electric pokemon had to offer. Their homes were underground, where ancient train station ruins laid, so that if an enemy plane were to pass by, they wouldn't be spotted. _

_The leader Electivire rolled over a huge boulder, revealing a set of holographic -yet solid- stairs. He descended them, and as he did, the boulder rolled itself to cover the opening again. He entered his warm home underground, hugging his wife and waiting for his offspring to show up. An Elekid, no older than a week old, ran over to his father. "Good morning, Static." Electivire greeted his son, who smiled. The Elekid saluted his father like it was proper, but it only made the older pokemon laugh. _

_Static went out to play like his mother Magmortar had suggested. Taking some underground routes, he made it to the Railway Ruins, where children often gathered to play. Pleased to find his friend there, Static ran over to him. "Rather early, aren't we?" Blitzle mocked. Static stuck his tongue out at the white-striped pokemon. "Early Taillow gets the Wurmple, that's what mother always tells me." The Elekid replied, a British accent in his voice, like Blitzle's. "Taillow's diet is disgusting. Anyway, how about a treasure hunt?" Blitzle offered. "You mean, inside a train? Aren't they haunted?" Static asked. "Of course they're not bloody haunted! Old folklore, that's what it is. Come on, don't be a coward." Blitzle said as he began to head for a ruined train. It was bent against another train, as if they'd crashed. The steel was covered in moss, plants had sprouted and ensnarled the broken windows, dirt covered the floor of the insides. They were clearly centuries old. _

_Blitzle neighed, reared up, and kicked the air. His white stripes began glowing yellow along with his mane as his body collected heat. Flames erupted from Blitzle's hooves and they extended to his body, circling and dancing around the electric pokemon. Then, with a loud neigh, Blitzle charged forward with the flames and charged the heavy door of the forgotten train, melting the ancient steel and tearing it down. Once he was inside, the flames died. "Nice Flame Charge." Static said as he stepped inside the horrid place. Blitzle shivered as his eyes landed on a human skeleton sitting on one of the seats. Its cranium was severely cracked and vines poked out from its eyeholes. _

"_That must've been one of the victims from the train crash back in 1509. I heard many people died…" Static said, eyeing the skeleton. There were several more sprawled around the train, some with broken bones and others twisted in abnormal angles. "Still think there's treasure here?" Static mocked. Blitzle nodded determinately. "Just imagine the jewelry these rich people must've left here! We can get enough money to help the colony!" Blitzle said as he ran about. Static rolled his eyes and began to search, but often found himself coughing from the dust and stench. _

_Then he saw a glimmer. It came from deep, at the back of the train. It was too dark for him to see what lay ahead, but then he saw the glimmer again, and ran forward. Blitzle was too occupied to notice. Static found himself engulfed in the dark area, with nothing to rely on but his touch. The floor was humid here. He began to grope his way around, realizing this was a narrow hallway. Finally, he bumped into something. As if it hadn't occurred to him before, he began to emit light from his body with Flash. In front of him was a seat. On the seat was a brownish skeleton with a cracked cranium and missing ribs. Its fist was closed, as if holding something that wasn't there, and its legs were crossed. It was an odd position. Then, he saw the glimmer and Static darted his eyes toward the skull. There, inside one of the eye sockets, was a big red diamond. It shimmered brightly with a beautiful glow. It wasn't a ruby. It was a red diamond. Static felt very tempted to grab the diamond, but his mind was telling him not to. But he found himself reaching for it. His short claws grazed the surface, and with that single touch, the skeleton __**lurched forward**__ and __**grabbed**__ Static's hand._

_The child began to scream as the skeleton tightened its grip and stood up, jaws clattering against each other. Static tried to wriggle free, but, for bones, the skeleton had a good grip. Blitzle heard the desperate cries and dashed toward his ally, only to freeze at the sight. "Help me, Blitz!" Elekid growled as he struggled. Blitzle swallowed down his shock and neighed. He charged at the skeleton, cloaked in Spark. But when he nearly came in contact with the bony aggressor, it __**jumped **__out of the way and __**chuckled**__. Just what was this? _

"_Poor little pokemon. One can't break free, the other can't hit me." The skeleton said in a womanly voice. Static stared at it in horror. But the skeleton looked back at him, its diamond eye gleaming. "What…what are you?" Static inquired. "Allow me to show you." The skeleton said. A beam began to engulf the skeleton, wrapping around its bones until Static could only see the diamond eye. The light began to leave the body little by little, revealing creamy skin. Static was stunned to see as the skeleton gained a female body, a __**naked **__one to add. He found himself focused on her face. Her long red hair now fell over her diamond eye. Her other eye was a beautiful blue and her lips were full. Blitzle and Static gaped. "They call me the master of disguise. But I guess that won't matter. Right now, your precious colony is being slain." The woman said. "What?" Static gasped. Electricity began to flow between his horns, something that had never happened before. The young pokemon had never pulled off an electric attack. Had something triggered the electricity? Maybe what this woman had said? _

"_Son of Ectro, you're coming with me. A prodigy like you mustn't be wasted." The woman said. She grabbed Static's other hand and wouldn't let go. "Leave me! What are you, ngh, talking about?" Static growled as he wriggled. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Blitzle charge at the woman with a Spark attack, but the woman simply kicked the pokemon away. "You aren't worth my time." She said. "Static!" Blitzle neighed, but he was pinned against some skeletons and couldn't move. Before Static knew it, electricity erupted from his horns and blasted the woman, making her drop him in pain. "Insolent brat." She snarled. _

_A tremor shook the train. Static slammed his fist against the skeletons and freed Blitzle before the twosome made a run for it. Static and Blitzle were fast pokemon, which allowed them to flee quickly. _

_The two frightened pokemon ran all the way back home, far from the transforming woman. They weren't sure if she'd followed them, they just wanted to get home. But upon setting foot inside the underground village, their eyes widened at the flames that burned. They heard blood-curling screams from the houses that had boulders blocking the exits, desperate cries for help. Smoke overfilled the cavern looking for an exit, but as it accumulated it suffocated many residents. _

_Blitzle's face of horror mimicked Static's. Their families, friends, neighbors all burning alive before their eyes, and there was nothing they could do. All those cries, those screams, those pleas…they all rung constantly in Static's head as he dashed forward to his house. Flames came from the tiny windows, the wooden door had been torn down and fire escaped from it too. But his home was silent, empty. Suddenly a set of claws grasped his body and yanked him up. "My baby! My dear baby! We must go!" His mother sobbed. She was totally unaffected by the fire. Of course it didn't, she even grew fire from her shoulders. Static embraced his mother's fiery body, uncaring about the heat. She ran off with him in her arms, down the underground hills._

_They hid behind a big boulder, listening to the cries of pain far away. As Magmortar wept, Static had a horrified expression; he felt scared, sad, and confused. How had this happened? How had this happened so fast? And…here was his mother, but where had his father gone? "Where's Dad?" He asked, trembling. "He…he's out there…he's out there fi…fighting…" Magmortar said, choking on her own tears. "Is he coming back?" Static asked. "I…I don't know…" She replied._

"_How pitiful." A woman's voice echoed. Magmortar's eyes widened and she evaporated her tears with her own heat. "Who's there?" She asked, although her voice trembled. Static was set down behind the boulder, away from the woman's sight. Magmortar stood up abruptly, standing proudly and powerful. "You must be the colony's Lady Magma. I just came to inform you that your husband Sir Ectro is dead." The woman said. She was the same one from the train. Only now, she was fully dressed in a bizarre red-blue armor. "You lie!" Magmortar screeched. She threw her arms into the air and then slammed them down. A spiraling vortex of huge, hungry flames engulfed the woman, radiating heat so hot it could be felt by Static. _

_But once the Inferno cleared, she was still standing. She was sweating and panting, but otherwise intact. Magmortar took a step back. "Just what are you?" She asked through her teeth. The woman chuckled. "The least I can do is give you my name. I am General Armstrong, and you're son is coming with me." She said. Static watched in horror as the woman extended her arm and drew a blade before charging at his mother. But Magmortar stood firm, threw her arms in the air, and began to ooze lava from her body. The woman didn't stop running, not even when her armored feet became drenched in lava._

_Then it was over for Lady Magma. The sharp stone blade pierced her chest. The woman retreated, pulling out the blade, and Magmortar fell backwards onto the hot cave floor. _

"_Mom!" Static dashed to his mother and placed his claws on her arm, holding on to her. She looked at him. "…Run…" Those were her last words. _

_Holding back the tears, Static ran as far as he could, but the woman had started going after him, and soon he was within her firm grasp. "Be a good boy and stay still." She cooed. He wriggled to break free. "No!" He shouted. But she refused to release the child. She blinked, and they disappeared._

_They materialized outside of the caverns. The woman admired the destroyed colony. Crops burning, houses torn down, and corpses lying around made her chuckle. "Nice try, Ectro. But we have prevailed." The woman laughed evilly, the sound echoing through the silent area. Static couldn't stare at the wreck that used to be his peaceful home. He held back the urge to scream. Why was this happening? He'd been a good boy. His family had been a good family! His mother had been so sweet, so caring, so hardworking. And his father, the one he admired…now he was nowhere to be seen. Had this woman been telling the truth? Was his father Ectro…dead? It couldn't be true. It just couldn't!_

_The last thing he saw was an Electivire, his father, running after the airship the woman had just mounted, calling out his name…before Static lost consciousness._

"I am so glad I managed to get to you in time. Who knows what would've happened to you if I hadn't saved you?" General Armstrong said, snapping me back into reality. I suppressed a glare. "I'd probably be dead, General. I am in…deep…gratitude." I lied. They thought they had me brainwashed. The truth was, I remembered everything clearly. But even so, why was I here?

_He awoke and began to scream and cry. Finally, he was letting out that suppressed sorrow and pain. But the armored woman walked up to him and placed some kind of helmet on his head. "You are our agent now. You shall obey our every commands. You never knew Nimbassa. Your family abandoned you. I saved you from the wild, you love me like a mother." She said as she pressed a button on the machine. A million jolts of electricity ran around Static's body. He stopped crying and gained a composed and blank stare. "Good afternoon, my General." He spoke with his new, refined voice._

_She removed the helmet and smirked. "Agent Elekid, welcome to the army." _

General Armstrong hadn't known about my inherited ability. Unlike most pokemon, I had two abilities. This usually happened when the pokemon had a parent of a different species, namely my mother. I had the ability Static as the first one. My second one was Motor Drive, it had absorbed all those electric shocks that were supposed to brainwash me. Sure, I still had some amnesia, but I knew the truth.

Apparently, Armstrong was no normal human. Nexus had heard from this guy, who'd heard from another guy, who'd heard from Mewtwo, that Dominique had come from a distant planet that didn't exist anymore. She was the result of an experiment by scientists. This similarity she shared with Mewtwo was the main reason he actually married her. But HOW could a woman like HER ever like a monster like MEWTWO?

Suddenly we were in front of a door. She pressed her hand against the metal and it scanned her skin. Once it had confirmed her ID, the door opened by itself to reveal a balcony. "Behold, McCloud." Armstrong said as she stepped into the balcony, followed by me. It was already night out. The balcony was perched to the side of the mountain, and gave view to almost the entire region. From here I could see the Bell Tower in Ecruteak and Stahlkraft's skyscrapers. The nearest town was Rosestem Town, which had been submitted to strict government. It was a simple place, and it was mostly inhabited by dragon pokemon. The river started from that down and kept going till New Bark Village.

The night sky was clouded enough to block the moon. It was quiet, except for the sound of the Kricketot and Kriketune. Even that I found odd, since I'd thought no wild pokemon lived in this mountain anymore. "I thought Mt. Silver was deserted." I mumbled. "Apparently, not. There are a few Gyarados living at the waterfall and some Sneasel trying to steal our equipment. Don't worry, we already sent the Houndoom squad to rid us of those pests." Armstrong said. Her hands were folded behind her back as she chuckled.

"Next year we shall begin to search again." She said. "Search? For what?" I asked. "That pesky Vulpix, of course. Biomegas said he wanted her dead or alive. But we must capture her before it's too late." She replied. "But, General, next year?" I inquired, perking an eyebrow. "Yes. After all, New Year's is in one week, right? Rest until then." Armstrong said as she turned to leave. I didn't look back as the sound of her footsteps began fade. I stared up at the sky, and then looked down at the necklace in my hand. "I'll find you." I whispered to myself.

* * *

(Eight days later…)

"_I thought you were my friend." Amber seethed through her teeth. Her eyes were a mix of anger, confusion, and sorrow. __"I…I was. I told myself not to, but I found myself growing close to you and Nicole. That was why I needed to get away from you." I said. I felt horrible, like my soul was being ripped apart piece by piece. "Then you could have come with me. You didn't have an excuse!" She shouted. I didn't know what to say. The anger that dripped from her words…I'd never seen her like this. She was fully right. I could've tagged along on her journey and stick together like real friends. But instead of telling her that I chuckled and said something else. "But I did. Taking care of that arrogant Azalea leader took me some time, but I got my job done. By then, you were already at Ameithus. That idiot Dream Weaver guy really was helpful to let me in on your whereabouts." And it was true…but why did my voice come out so…blank? Why did I sound hollow of emotion? There were tiny tears at Amber's eyes as fire began to spew from her mouth. "Traitor!"_

I awoke with a start. I touched my whole body, sighing in relief when I realized I wasn't on fire. That dream…it had been haunting me ever since I'd returned to the HQ. What was wrong with me? Was I sick or something?

Everything was pitch black. I could hear Nexus recharging machine beeping. Every night he'd connect a cable to himself and would sleep with it till the next morning, when he'd unplug himself. It was the machine that charged his robot side, while sleep charged his human side. Sometimes I felt pity for Nexus. He was a very strong fighter, but he had to put up with having a divided body. Sometimes I would wonder how he wound up in that state.

I would've gone back to sleep, if only I didn't fear the same dream again. Today was important, after all. I jumped off my short bed into the cold ground and walked about the dark room, groping my way around. I found the door, but the handle was too high up. Uh, how I hated being a pokemon sometimes. Why couldn't I go back to being a human? At least then I'd have decent height. Sighing, I went back to sleep, with nothing else to do.

"_Traitor!"_

The second time I woke up it was morning. Nexus had already woken up, too, and he was sitting on his bed. He was trying to reach for the machine he was connected to, but his arm wasn't long enough. I hopped off bed and ran to it, unplugging the cable and shutting down the machine for him. "Thank you, Static." He said, looking at me with orange eyes. "Could you fetch my clothes for me while I get up?" He questioned. I nodded. It wasn't like I didn't do it every morning, anyway.

After I'd grabbed Nexus's casual outfit, which consisted of a black aviator's jacket, long jeans, navy blue shirt, and combat boots, I threw them onto his bed. Nexus had nothing on, and I mean _nothing_, but I didn't mind. I was very used to it. He dressed very quickly and thanked me. In return, he opened the door for me to slip away.

I met up with the engineer Bisharp at the breakfast hall. It was a wide area that consisted of several tables, one of which had every kind of breakfast food. There was enough for every soldier at the headquarters, but it wasn't quality food. The slaves weren't expert cooks, anyway. Bisharp was silent as he grabbed two plates, one of which was for me. I hated being so small. I always had to ask someone to reach for me, and today, I'd asked Bisharp to serve me my food since the table was too high up for me. Then he lifted me up into a chair and he sat down on the opposite side of me.

"So, I hear you have an important mission today." Bisharp started. "Yeah, with General Mewtwo again." I replied, taking a sip of my Aguav juice. "You are lucky to not be stuck with Armstrong. My squad is always assigned to go with her." He complained as he took a bite from a Nanab berry. Just then Nexus sat down beside me with his food, two berries, and a glass of oil (ew).

"So, what did I interrupt?" He asked. "Nothing much. General Armstrong just freaks me out." Bisharp said. "I agree with you." Nexus said, reaching for a berry. "By the way Bisharp, what do you know about her?" I asked. Bisharp looked at me, his eyes dangerous. "My teammates have told me many stories about her. One, she's not fully human. She is a hybrid." He said. I dropped my fork in surprise. "I have heard of those. Hybrid are a cross between a species and another." Nexus stated. No duh! "But a cross between what? Obviously, one was human." I said. Bisharp stared at his own blades before looking up and answering. "I heard that she is a cross between a human female and a Zoroark." Bisharp said. "I guess that would explain her hair color." Nexus said, drinking some of his oil.

I wasn't paying much attention to my food anymore. Instead, I looked over to a far off table. General Mewtwo and General Armstrong were sitting at that table together, sharing some red wine. Their plates were empty, they'd already finished. Mewtwo laughed at something she'd said. She kept a composed expression, though. That woman…I'd always known there was something strange about her. Her parentage explained her powers of creating illusions. Her hair hid that diamond eye of hers, and I doubted many had ever seen it. Surely, Mewtwo already knew everything about her. "She came to Earth when her home planet was destroyed and killed every single living thing around her in a rage. Biomegas found her and took her with him. That is all I know." Bisharp said. The story sent shivers up and down my spine. I'd pay all the money in the world to not be stuck with her alone somewhere.

"Well, I'm finished. Good luck, you two." Bisharp said as he stood up. He dumped his plate onto a trash can and left the room. I was done with my food too, so now I was waiting for Nexus to finish. "Don't look now, but here comes Mewtwo." A Watchog whispered to me from behind. I gulped and looked down, as if interested in my feet. "Good morning, teammates." Mewtwo said as he took a seat in front of me. His arms were folded across his chest and he was feeding himself some ham with Psychic. I had always found odd that Mewtwo was a carnivore, considering most psychic pokemon were herbivores. "Good morning, General." I replied, looking up. Mewtwo seemed tense. "Hurry up, Nexus. We need to take our leave." Mewtwo growled. Nexus drank the last of his oil and stood up. He aimed a laser gun at his plate and glass and fired it, turning them into ashes. "Finished." He declared. "Then let's go." Mewtwo said.

* * *

The slaves finished polishing the new airship. One of the slaves, a Timburr, came running to me and handed me the keys of the airship. "You may leave. Your work is done for today." I said. Timburr looked overjoyed, as if ready to cry. "Airship ready to go, yes! Thank you sir! Come family, we go now!" He chirped. His English was very bad. The slave ran off with his family to the room they'd been assigned. I sighed. Sometimes it felt wrong to boss these foreign pokemon around.

I finishing packing the supplies we'd need to survive a week into a crate. I whistled, and a couple of Vigoroth picked it up and loaded it into the airship. Mewtwo took the keys from me and glared up at the black airship. It was smaller than the last one, but big enough for us. A door to the left of the airship opened, and Mewtwo used Psychic to load me and Nexus into it. Once I was inside, I pulled a lever that activated a teleporting beam. A group of soldiers materialized into the room with us. They'd placed themselves underneath the airship, where the beam had sucked them in. Yep, that was technology. Most of the soldiers were normal and fighting type pokemon like Watchog, Toxicroak, and Gurdurr, but there were some others like Pawniard and Scyther. They were unarmed but suited. They retreated into the room that was assigned to them, a spacey area with nothing but seats, a TV, and a bathroom.

Nexus and I guided ourselves to the control room. I took the left seat and Nexus took the right, while the middle one was empty. It was where Mewtwo would sit to control the airship. Through the glass I saw as the hangar door began to slowly open and the slaves started to clear away. "Ready the engines." I told Nexus as I pushed the button that activated the radar and sonar systems. I felt the engine roar to life. I heard a door slam shut and soon after Mewtwo came in. He took his seat on the black leather chair. But I hadn't noticed who had followed until I heard her voice. "Is everything set?" General Armstrong asked. My eyes widened, but I didn't look at her. "Yes." I said. "Ready for takeoff in three…two…one…lift off!" Nexus shouted. The airship began to ascend, and soon we sped out of the hangar. Next location: Azalea Village.

For hours, all I did was focus on the radar and sonar. All they seemed to pick up were bird pokemon, but no other flying objects. The room was quiet, which made me feel weird. Sure, Mewtwo was a sour puss, but usually he'd start some small talk. But General Armstrong's presence seemed to mute all of us, even me, which was very strange. Suddenly the silence was broken. "Did you remember to pack your lunch, dear?" Armstrong said. Mewtwo groaned. "Yes I did, honey. Now let me focus on the road." Mewtwo said. "What road? We are up in the sky!" Armstrong said. Mewtwo groaned again. "You're embarrassing me." He growled. "This was all your idea." She growled back. They sounded just like what they were: an old married couple. I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Fortunately, they didn't hear me.

Suddenly, the radar began to pick up something. I stared with wide eyes as a red dot took the shape of a huge bird pokemon flying near us. I recognized this pokemon as Ho-oh. The radar began to beep as she neared. "What's on the radar, McCloud?" Mewtwo inquired. I bit my lip. "Nothing, sir. It is just a mishap." I lied. The beeping died down, and Mewtwo seemed to believe me.

Why had I just done that?

* * *

"We are arriving at Azalea, sir." Nexus stated. "Good. Dominique, go inform the soldiers." Mewtwo instructed. Armstrong shrugged and left the room to do what he'd asked. Mewtwo put the airship on autopilot, got up and picked up his gear. He strapped on the small backpack that would transform into his armor in a pinch, and a communicator onto his wrist. I put on my own communicator, which looked like a hands-free speakerphone, like Nexus's. "Our objective is to find the brat." Mewtwo said. "What if she is not here, sir?" Nexus asked. Mewtwo took a few seconds to answer. "Then we kill them all." He said. Nexus nodded.

When we had everything, Mewtwo regained control of the ship and started to land it. I was giving Nexus a quick recharge with my Thunderbolt when Armstrong came into the room again. She knelt down to look at me and looked for something in her pocket. She pulled out a beautiful knife. The blade was night black and the hilt was steel encrusted with red jewels. It looked sharper than any weapon I'd ever seen. Carefully, she grabbed my hand and placed the knife between my claws. I grasped the hilt and just stared at it. "That blade is made of jet. This knife is special. It was created specifically to pierce the body of ghost pokemon." Armstrong stated, locking eyes with me. I tried to keep my eyes from widening when I realized why she'd given it to me. "I think it is clear to you who I want you to eliminate. With this knife, kill him. Kill him, and the Vulpix will suffer. That way we will win, even if we don't capture her. Can I trust you with this assignment, Static?" She asked with a tender voice. I gulped. "Yes, General. You have my word." I said. She smirked, chuckled, and got up, heading toward Mewtwo.

After a few minutes, Mewtwo landed the airship amongst the trees of the Ilex Forest. We'd had a silent landing, thankfully. As Nexus loaded his bazooka and Mewtwo checked his armor, Armstrong opened the hatchets and began to lead the soldiers out. I followed them out as if I were one of them. As we descended, I started to count the soldiers. Only twenty: not nearly enough. Just what did Biomegas think this was? A joke? This was supposed to be a serious mission. But twenty soldiers versus all of Azalea? We were screwed.

I waited for Nexus after getting off. We would usually work together. He could work with Mewtwo also, but he preferred me. According to him, I was much more tolerable and friendly. I didn't know much about the 'friendly' part though. Nexus and Mewtwo came out at the same time and as soon as we were all assembled, Mewtwo pressed a button on his communicator and the airship gained an invisible cloak. That way we wouldn't need to worry about curious pokémon.

Mewtwo and Armstrong led the troops through the forest. We all went silently, trying to avoid making the faintest noise. Nobody dared step on a fallen branch, neither did I. We had the element of surprise by our side, and we couldn't spoil it. The sun was bright, so I began to doubt. Wouldn't it be better to attack at night, when the enemy would be tired? That was what I had been taught. So why were the two Generals going to attack in broad daylight? This was a disadvantage, considering most of Azalea's warriors were grass type pokémon with Chlorophyll, Solar Power, or Leaf Guard. Sometimes I thought that I'd be a better General than those two.

We made it to the end of the forest. Mewtwo made the troops halt. Armstrong sent five Scyther to investigate. They scattered in every direction to revise if the village was unguarded. Suddenly Armstrong motioned to me with two fingers. I had a lump in my throat as I marched up to her. She knelt down and readjusted my communicator before flashing me a fake smile. "The Scyther do not see any interference. I'm sending you ahead. Infiltrate the village, check, and if our target is not there, proceed to kill." She said. I nodded. She patted my head as if she cared. Did she really think I liked her gestures? Armstrong was nothing but a cruel and scary hybrid. I wanted nothing to do with her. Yet, here I was, serving her as a soldier.

I sighed as I looked back at the camouflaged troops before I ran through a bush and into the open. My eyes landed on the shrine. The cabins were all neatly organized around the shrine, one beside the other. The wind rustled the grass and flowers. There were few people outside of their homes, picking fruit from the trees or chopping wood. This village was very linked to nature. They had no technology at all, and survived from natural resources. I had always found this odd. After so many years, this place looked like one from the prehistoric era. It was quiet and peaceful, and I began to feel bad about the mission I had to perform.

I tried to avoid being spotted. When the door of the Main House swung open, I threw myself underneath the shrine for cover. I was well hidden, since the grass was tall enough to hide the underside of the shrine. Out of the Main House came floating a Mismagius. I could hear him humming happily. He had a basket lifted into the air with Psychic. He pulled out a Kasib berry from the basket with Psychic and fed himself. He was followed by an Infernape, who was holding a load of hay that looked heavy.

Ah, yes. Those were Morty and Fuego. Fuego looked much stronger now from the battle that we'd had a while back. He had evolved from Monferno into Infernape during said battle, and would've defeated me if Nexus hadn't tied him up. That had been the first assault we had launched on Azalea, but since we'd heard _she _was up in Ecruteak, we'd cut the assault short to pursue _her. _Right now, I was feeling uneasy about having to fight both of them. They already knew all of my tricks, but I didn't know theirs. Of course, I knew Fuego had a nasty Close Combat move while Morty had Shadow Ball, and, obviously, Psychic. Oh…why hadn't I studied them closer? I didn't have the upper hand now.

"Calypso seems grumpy today, wouldn't you agree?" I heard Morty say. "When isn't she grumpy? Huff, she's worse than our Mistress." Fuego replied. Was he talking about Mistress Jirachi? Yes…I still recognized her as my Mistress, and I always would. I was glad she wasn't in Azalea anymore, so I wouldn't have to face her with my treachery. I'd heard she'd left to Stahlkraft with her fiancée and that Latias to make wedding plans. At least that scratched three opponents from my list.

"I wonder when Amber will be back." Morty said. "She just left yesterday, ballerina. Miss her already? C'mon, you've got me!" Fuego complained. Yeah, like he was that enjoyable. But wait, Amber wasn't here? Oh…that meant the attack would be meaningless! I had to go back to Armstrong and tell her that before the troops attacked! But right now I couldn't escape. I'd get caught. I had to stay hidden at least until Morty and Fuego went elsewhere.

Suddenly, Morty perked his head up in alarm, and I flinched. His eyes were wide and the gems on his body were glowing. His purple eyes were shinning and ominous, black energy radiated from his body. He was actually scaring me. Had he spotted me? "Morty? What's wrong? You're scaring me, bud." I heard Fuego say, but Morty was not reacting.

"…Run…" Morty said, but I barely heard it. That word, and how he'd said it, made me feel…I don't know how. It made me remember my mother. That had been her last word. Why…why would Morty say that? Everything was okay. Unless…

"Fuego, RUN!" Morty screeched. Hell rained down just then. I felt a tremor, and then I heard screams. A patch of grass in front of me became tainted with blood, and the body of a little girl fell to the ground, bleeding from a bullet wound in her heart. More screams erupted from the outside.

That was my cue. I came out of hiding and into the fight.

I could see that Azalea wasn't slacking off. They had their own warriors ready for battle. A Pawniard of our side was struggling against an armored Gallade. The Gallade swung down his glowing blade and struck Pawniard, knocking out the pokémon. The Gallade turned his blue eyes to me and I growled. He screamed a battle cry and lunged at me, his blades extending and glowing green. I began to swing my arm in circles, electricity beginning to build inside my body. When I felt charged enough, I lunged forward to meet his attack with my Thunder Punch. My fist collided with his Leaf Blade, but surprisingly I could withstand the force of the Leaf Blade. My electrified fist began to bleed, but I didn't feel actual pain. So quickly I swung my other arm and charged it up. "For someone so small, you're a strong opponent!" Gallade commented, trying to suppress me. "For a psychic type, you sure are dumb. You seem to have forgotten I have one free arm!" I said as I struck him with my other electrified fist. He was blown back a few feet, but managed to keep himself standing. Glaring, he began to prepare a Hyper Beam, and I was ready to counter with Light Screen, but suddenly his eyes widened at the sound of a woman's voice_. "Arturo, ayuda!"_ The Gallade canceled his attack and jumped in another direction, ignoring me completely. He'd gone to the aid of a Lucario, who'd been surrounded by Scyther.

Mewtwo had already set some cabins on fire. He kicked open every door to revise, and when he didn't find anything there, he finished the house off with a powerful Psystrike attack. Nexus was doing a similar job, only he was much less violent. A man tackled him to the ground, and the two began to wrestle. Mewtwo had become surrounded by warriors. The Umbreon that had fought me before, I think Foolish was his name, had cornered Mewtwo and was preparing a Shadow Ball. Behind him was that black-haired Dream Weaver, who I'd never bothered to get to know, and he was aiming a flaming arrow to Mewtwo's head. There wasn't anything I could do for them, but I knew they could handle it themselves. Mewtwo was no weakling, after all.

I trotted around the battlefield avoiding arrows fired my way and many pokemon trying to attack me. I couldn't pay attention to any of them, I had only one goal in mind. I knew that Amber wasn't in the village. I had to find Armstrong and tell her to retreat the troops! There was no point in this destruction! All the blood that was spilling, it was unnecessary! I had been trained to know when to retreat. And that time was now.

In the midst of my running, I tripped and fell. I got up again, but I stumbled and went rolling into a cabin that was yet to be set on fire. I got up properly, only to realize the place was empty. There was a hay bed, a mirror, and many candles sprawled around. None of them were lit. They were set up in a circular formation surrounding a large rainbow feather. I recognized it as a circle for praying. But who had been using it? I thought the answer was pretty obvious, especially when I was lifted up with Psychic energy and thrown violently at the hay bed. The hay flew in all directions as my landing dispersed them.

"How could you!" I heard Morty's voice screech. I dusted myself off as I stood up. "How could I what? You're not being specific." I said in a faked cool tone. "You traitor!" He boomed again. My instincts told me I was in danger. I raised my Light Screen barrier just as a Shadow Ball had been shot at me. The form of a Mismagius started to materialize from the shadows. Then I could see Morty glaring at me with his violet eyes. Subconsciously, my hand grazed the hilt of the knife strapped to my side. "Fancy meeting you here." I said, trying to stay calm. I was aware that Morty was waaaaaaaaaaaay more powerful than me, but I couldn't let him figure that out, although part of me knew that he was much aware. "Don't act dumb. You came looking for Amber. Or am I wrong?" Morty growled. He was floating near the ceiling, keeping his distance from me. Sweat trickled down my face. "Yes." I said. "But she isn't here." I added. "Then why are you here?" He growled. "I…" Why _was _I here? If Amber was not in Azalea, why hadn't I gone back to the airship?

…

Morty didn't wait for a reply. Another Shadow Ball was shot at me, and I barely managed to dodge. Not a second later, I was assaulted with a rainbow beam. I managed to jump away, but he kept shooting different attacks at me. Finally, a Psybeam struck me, and as I tripped, Morty engulfed me with Psychic and threw me at a wall. Since when was he this violent? Or angry? Morty had always been a calm pokémon; I'd never known him to be so aggressive. So I had to fight back with my own violence, or else I'd be done for. Another Psybeam was aimed at me, but I began to whirlwind my arm, feeling electric surges in my body. Electricity charged between my horns and I was fully ready. I fired my Thunderbolt with a battle cry and it came in contact with Morty's Psybeam. The two attacks tried to surprise each other but mine got through, absorbing the Psybeam as it neared Morty. The Thunderbolt electrocuted Morty and kept going for a few seconds as he cried out. But even after receiving such a powerful hit, Morty kept himself firm. Just how could he do that?

Smoke came from his purple skin. Weak electric surges jumped around him. The communicator he had been wearing malfunctioned and had a tiny, harmless explosion. His eyes were squeezed shut, and for a minute I thought he was unconscious and only keeping himself in midair by instinct. But he wasn't. When his eyes shot open, one was hollowed black and the other red, and I froze. I couldn't move…I was completely stunned. Mean Look had affected me quickly! And as long as Morty held that gaze, I couldn't move. But he couldn't use another move either. So we were both stuck, only until he chose to let me go.

"Tell me," Morty began. "Why did you betray us? For money? For glory? Why?" He asked. "I did it because I was supposed to…I was never on your side…" I growled. Even moving my mouth was hard. "You seemed so harmless…you were a good boy…what happened?" He muttered. And again I was left speechless. "The Static you knew back then was never real. This is the real me." I said, although I felt some kind of weight on my heart. Just what was it? Had I actually spent so much time faking…that I'd begun to think my time undercover was my real life? Deep down, I knew the answer…

He seemed outraged. Morty blinked, and I was released. I couldn't let my thoughts distract me; it was now or never. I began to whirlwind my arms and then swung them down, discharging a wave of electricity toward Morty. He tried to evade, but Shock Wave was a sure-hit move; he couldn't escape. It was only a light hit, since he barely recoiled before lunging at me. I couldn't imagine what kind of move he was using, considering pokémon like him preferred special and not physical kinds of moves. A tackle seemed too simple. But when he actually struck me, I knew why he'd done it. I felt my health being drained harshly to a certain point. A light left my body and entered Morty's. After that, he floated back up swiftly and I scanned him. The burn marks had disappeared from his body and he looked healthier, but still beaten up. Damn! I should've expected a Pain Split from him! Now our health was equal.

I thought that maybe another electric-type move would be too predictable. I had to think quickly, because Morty had already started to collect shadows. That was when I had an idea. I began to run as fast as I could, focusing energy to my feet to perform a Quick Attack. I jumped into the air and Morty's eyes widened as I came down with my fist on fire. I struck him with my Fire Punch and the unfinished Shadow Ball fell uselessly and disappeared. The impact forced him out of the air and onto the floor. I removed my fist and jumped back. He struggled to get up, but I wouldn't let him do that. I swung my arms and shot a Thunderbolt, and that was enough to take him down for good.

I didn't know how, but in an instant I was there, grabbing the knife strapped to my side. I yanked it out as Morty tried to get up. He lifted his head, and that's when I grabbed his neck. He gasped for air and glared at me. "Why…are you doing…this?" He asked weakly. "I don't know." I said honestly. I raised the knife with my other hand. "It won't matter, what you do. You're too late. Your side will never win…Omegan." He said. "You are mistaken," I began. "We will prevail!" I said as I swung down the knife. "Hail Biomegas!"

* * *

_**General Armstrong**_

I lowered my ray gun after successfully eliminating a Sunflora. Azalea's numbers were dropping quickly, which was a big advantage. I was yet to meet a real threat. A flaming arrow was shot my way, but I sidestepped and dodged, and it went through the skull of an ally Watchog. Yet another soldier down. No big deal; we would win anyway.

I felt a pain in my left eye. I pressed my hand against it, but the pain remained. This would happen when my pokemon instincts were trying to warn me of something. Over the years I'd learned to trust my instincts. They were never wrong. And they sure weren't now, because when I jumped into the air I realized I'd missed a dart by- a few inches. It landed on the grass and I picked it up. I examined the tip; poisonous. I turned around, anxious to know who had shot it. Another dart shot from the bushes, but I caught it between my fingers and shot it back.

A tall woman leaped out of the bushes just in time to dodge the toxic dart. She dropped the bamboo shoot she'd used to shoot the darts at me and crouched as she reached the ground. She was in an animalistic position, growling and revealing her sharp, fang-like teeth. Tattoos of red claw marks were around her arms, feet, neck and cheeks. She wore nothing but leaf underwear; which was an outfit perfect for combat. Her messy hair reached the ground as she crouched so low. A graceful Gracidea was tangled between her locks. Her furious eyes fixed on me, and I knew who it was. "You must be the colony's Lady Calypso." I said. She snarled. This woman really had no manners. "I will take that as a yes. What an honor." I said mockingly.

She perked her head up and glared at me. "You," She began. Her accent was heavy and she sounded fierce. This would be interesting. "…Foul woman, dare assault my village?" She seethed. I folded my arms under my breasts. "You do not have what we were looking for. For that, your village must burn." I said coolly. Calypso began to move backward, as if ready to pounce on me, which she did. I managed to evade her, but just barely.

When I stood up, Calypso grabbed my wrist and dug her claws into my skin. I refused to flinch, even when she drew blood. With my free hand I grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her back, making her loose her grip on my wrist. She stumbled but didn't fall. I drew my leather whip. I raised my arm and swung it down forcefully and swiftly. Calypso was faster than I'd imagined; she jumped out of the way of each assault until I managed to wrap the whip around her ankle and trip her. She kicked and wriggled but my whip still constricted her foot. I knew I couldn't possibly have enough strength to actually fling her, so I settled for having her still. "Surrender now or you will die." I threatened. She gave me a glare and a snarl, which I considered as a no. Before I could react, she cut the whip with her claws and sprung up.

Her speed was remarkable. I thought she'd go over me to try and knock me down, but instead she slid between my spread legs and stood up behind me. Her claws were quickly around my neck, trying to choke me. I made no movement and had no reaction. "I can tell you are skilled at hand-to-hand combat." I said. "I have been fighting for longer than you think." Calypso said. Her hands tightened around my neck, but I had no reason to panic. "Let's continue." I said. I grabbed her wrists and as she gasped I used all my strength to pull her over me and toss her to the ground. She landed flat on her back. I placed my boot on her stomach and pressed down to keep her from getting up. But she scowled and grabbed my leg; pushing me off her body and making me stumble.

All of the gear I wore slowed me down. She could move this swiftly because she carried no weight. But I had no time to disarm myself. I had to fight speed with power. As she sprung up and reared back to kick me, I let go of my ruined whip and dropped my ray gun. When she kicked I ducked, tackling her. But when she almost hit the ground, she rolled to the side, and evaded me.

This battle was truly incredible. I'd never faced such a challenge, especially when my foe was only human. The pain in my eye was beginning to be bothersome. This would only happen when my blood was really pumping. I couldn't surrender to the power that wanted to take over.

We were both panting, glaring at each other. Calypso had crouched yet again, but I was standing firm, although wary. She barely had a scratch on her. I reached for a knife I kept strapped to my side, but Calypso did something I would have never imagined. She put her arms in the form of an X, her claws beginning to extend. They started to glow white as well as her eyes. The Gracidea had begun to attract some kind of energy. Calypso swung down one arm like a sword, and a blade of air shot from her claws. The blade hit my hand and I was forced to let go of my knife. "I see," I began, clenching my jaw. "You must be one of those reborns." I said. "The one who eliminated that traitor, Red Knight, or am I wrong?" I growled. Calypso still had one arm stretched. "You are." She said. "Oh?" I perked up an eyebrow. "The one who gave Red Knight his rest was the Chosen One, for whom I shall fight," She began, eyes angling in determination. "I shall fight…¡_hasta mi ultimo suspiro!" _She shouted as she swung down her arm, blades of air shooting out from her claws. If she was going to fight until her last breath, then what a pity, because I would make sure she kept her word.

My left eye began to trouble me again. This time, I would have to rely on my other half for this fight. It would be reborn versus hybrid. The blades of air slashed past me, and they managed to cut just a piece of my locks. The scarlet hair fell to the grass, but I didn't care. My left eye had been exposed to her now, and her face was that of confusion and wonder. "You are not the only one with abilities." I said. She jumped back and crouched, preparing herself for whatever I'd pull out my sleeve.

I focused, and I felt my body change.

* * *

Calypso collapsed, overwhelmed by my sheer force. She had a look of horror on her face as I took another step forward. "Oh come on, I'm sure you have seen worse before." I snarled. She shook her head and tried to scoot away. "Never…never had I seen something so…so incredible! Just what are you?" She shouted. I smirked, grinding my fangs. "I am…let's just say, my parents weren't exactly normal." I said.

"Lady Calypso!" Someone shouted. I turned to see an Umbreon dashing toward me from behind. He was very quick, so much that I didn't have time to dodge his Faint Attack. I was tackled and pinned to the floor. "Don't move, foxy." He growled. How dare he mock my name? I tried to stand up, but someone pressed down on my back with their foot. When I looked up I saw a handsome young man with long jet hair and sea-green eyes. I saw my reflection in them; I was a Zoroark.

The young man pressed his foot down harder but looked at me with curiosity. "What's wrong, boy? Not enough courage to kill a defenseless woman?" I mocked. "You…a Zoroark? But I thought Zoroark were extinct…" He muttered. I scoffed. "You humans are very oblivious." I chuckled. "Now, Nexus!" I shouted. The young man and Umbreon gasped as a plasma beam shot from the bushes and impacted them. The young man was sent flying against a tree, and the Umbreon landed against the man's stomach before they both collapsed on the ground. The man had open cuts and was bleeding from the corner of his mouth, as well as the Umbreon.

Nexus stepped out of the bushes readjusting his arm-cannon as I stood up and brushed the dirt from my mane. Calypso was up as well, and she was looking at the fallen duo with worry. "You really should worry about yourself, Lady Calypso." I said as I hooked my claws around her neck. She gasped for air but glared at me fiercely. "One cannot be so selfish! There will always be someone to watch over!" She snarled. "That's a lie." I replied, anger in my tone. "It is not! Tch! Why should I waste my breath? You Omegans will never understand love." She said. "General, please try to remain calm." Nexus said from behind me. My jaw was clenched tightly and I began to tighten my hold on Calypso's throat and she gasped for air again.

"¡_Mamá!" _A boy's voice screamed. My ears perked up and Calypso's eyes widened. I turned my head just slightly to see a frightened boy hiding behind a tree. His skin was olive and his deep brown hair was long and messy. His mossy-green eyes were full of fear, tears threatening to spill. For age, I assumed he was eleven. "¡_Hijo!" _Calypso called, but gasped again. "Oh, I see." I chuckled. "Sorry I have to do this in front of your child." I said. "But I'll do it anyway." I said. I let go of her neck and she stumbled, and I lunged at her bearing my fangs, aiming for her neck.

I slashed her throat with my teeth and stood up, wiping the blood from my mouth with my furry arm. There Calypso lay dead on the ground, her eyes wide, blood oozing from her neck. The boy broke into tears and ran to her, kneeling down and shaking her limp body. "¡_Mamá_! _Mamá_, get up! _Mamá_ …" It seemed to me that the child finally understood that his mother would not awaken, not now, not ever. I folded my arms across my chest and snarled at Nexus. Without another word, we left the boy screaming in agony and returned to where we'd parked.

It seemed that as soon as their leader had been killed, the Azalea soldiers had started to yield. I thought that maybe we could take a prisoner or two, if they showed potential. I made my way to the center of the village, where the charred and weak, but still standing, shrine was. "Azalea! Today, you have yielded to the forces of Biomegas. Your lives have been spared for making this choice." I shouted. The terrorized humans and pokémon sent glares. The adults bowed down, but the confused children just stared at me dumbfounded.

A small house exploded. "Done yet, Mewtwo?" I asked without even looking. Of course it had to be him. And I was always right. "There's nothing valuable in this pathetic village! All I could find was this." Mewtwo said as he handed me a brownish gem. "What is this?" I asked. "It's a Fighting Gem. I figured you could use it, since you know Focus Blast. Why are you in your Zororark form, anyway? The leader couldn't have possibly been _that _strong." Mewtwo said. Kind of ironic, since he was armored. We'd both recurred to drastic measures. I looked at the pretty gem in my claws and grinned. "She was a worthy opponent." I said. "What came of her?" He asked, perking an eyebrow. "She's dead." I replied. Mewtwo chuckled and caressed my furry ears. I jerked his hand away. "Don't touch my ears." I scolded. He looked offended.

"Excuse me, sir." Nexus cut in. "I believe we are missing Agent Elekid." He informed. Oh, that was right. I hadn't seen Static since I'd sent him on a little quest. Maybe he was dead? A shameful loss, but nothing I would mourn over. "Is he dead?" I asked. "I have not seen him." Nexus stated. I turned to Mewtwo. He shook his head.

We were about to head back when I heard a door slam open. We turned to see Static emerge from a cabin looking tired and beaten. In his hand he carried the knife I'd given him. But what was different about the knife was that the blade was covered in a strange liquid. He marched tiredly up to us, panting, stumbling at every step, until Mewtwo used Psychic to yank him up to us. When Static was firmly on the ground, he looked up at Mewtwo and I and saluted us. "General Armstrong…I…I did as you asked." He said, although there was pain in his voice. He sounded sad and…guilty? What did guilt have to do with his mission?

"Let me see." I said as I reached for him. He handed me the blade and I examined it. There was a dark red liquid dripping from the knife. It was blood. At the realization, my lips curled into a smirk. "Well done, Agent Static. You deserve a reward." I said. He nodded tiredly.

"Troops! Retreat!" Mewtwo shouted. The few remnants of our small army all ran up to us. They were tattered and bruised, some even heavily injured. I counted the soldiers, and out of the original twenty, only seven remained. They consisted of two Scyther, three Pawniard, one Gurdurr, and one Watchog. Surely, it had been a tough battle. "Well done for today, let us return to the headquarters." Mewtwo commanded. "Sir, yes, sir!" They said, saluting him before following him through the forest.

Nexus, Static and I walked silently but sternly behind. We passed frightened villagers on our way. Just before leaving the village, I saw a Lucario slumped on the ground crying, a Gallade hugging her securely. He sent me a glare as I walked past them, but I let it slide. I was much too absorbed in my victory to care.

We mounted our airship and took off. I watched through the window as the Ilex Forest became farther and farther away and the sun began to set over the horizon. It was a truly marvelous sight to behold. I began to shift back to my human body, retracting my claws and hair. I felt myself get shorter. Soon my skin was back to normal and my hair fell over my eye. I was human again.

"I retrieved some information." Nexus said after a while. "Well, report, then." I said. "The Chosen One is heading for Stahlkraft City currently." He informed. "Should we follow?" Static asked. "Well, Dominique? I want to find her and beat her to a pulp. What do you want to do?" My husband asked. I smirked. "Oh, don't you worry. I plan on heading to Stahlkraft myself to tie some loose ends, anyway. I am going undercover to meet this 'Amber' personally."

* * *

_**Morty **_

Everything hurt. I was in extreme pain as I lay there on the cold ground as if I were dead. A pool of my own blood had formed under me. I thought it was over. The next time I would close my eyes, I wouldn't be able to open them again.

I saw Fuego burst in, calling my name, but even then I didn't care. Even as he picked me up all I could think about was the future. I was so confused and angered by that traitor. Hatred was building in my heart. What he'd done…not only to me, but to the whole village, and to Amber.

I scratched off all the hopes I'd held of that traitor returning to our side.

"Morty! Morty, speak to me!" Fuego screamed. I blinked. "Where are they…?" I asked weakly. "They're gone. Calypso's dead." Fuego replied lowly.

Oh, there was no doubt about it now. I was getting revenge, for everyone that had suffered today.

Revenge…it sounded so blissful in my mind.

* * *

**Derp o3o**

**I'm sorry this took so long, but my computer still has viruses so I'm still borrowing Mom's o3o I hope you guys can forgive me for the delay!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed!** **I'd been wanting to finish this for a long time now, since I was so excited about writing in a villain's POV!**

**For those of you reading my truth or dare fic, I'm going to get working on chapter 3 now. I think the updates for that story will be weekly, since it's so easy to write. For those of you who haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for? GO AND READ IT!**

**So, regarding the pokémon giveaways I mentioned, they have started. I already gave away the first Mismagius and Riolu. All you have to do is contact me so we can arrange a trade! No valuable pokémon required. Although, A Ralts, Glameow, or Rhyhorn would be much appreciated…Remember the games are Black/White! **

**My Final Exams started TODAY! I'm so stressed! I graduate on Friday, have Prom on Sunday, and after that it's bye-bye school for the whole summer! So yeah, I'm gonna be blasting chapters at ya. And my birthday's next month o3o Turning 14, finally! Why finally? Because my parents said that when I turn 14, they're gonna sign me up for Japanese courses during summer! I'm so excited to learn it. So then for my **_**Quinceañera**_** (huge celebration for girls when they turn 15) I'll get tickets for a vacation in guess where? JAPAN! Imma get Japanese pokemon games lol. **

**I hope to get working on Chapter 17 soon. Here's a special character profile for you guys.**

_**Name: Mewtwo**_

_**Level: 85**_

_**Nature: Rash**_

_**Moves: Thunder Punch, Ice Punch, Psychic, Aura Sphere, Swift, Shadow Ball, Psystrike. **_

_**Age: +1050 years**_

_**Prefered Food: Angrily eats anything**_

**(Get it? Instead of 'happily eats anything'? Since he's angry and…uh…I fail.)**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	18. Enter the Shaymin

The Order of Arceus

Chapter Seventeen

Enter the Shaymin

"_Please! No!" A woman sobbed hysterically as she fell to her knees. An armed guard shoved her away from the stockade and aimed his gun at a girl constricted by chains. The girl wriggled, trying to break free, but she stopped moving when the guard asked her a question. "Do you regret your words? Will you yield before lord Biomegas?" _

_The girl clenched her jaw and turned her head to the side. "No." She said. The next and last sound she heard was that of gunfire, before her chest was pierced by the bullet and her heart stopped beating._

* * *

_**Nicole**_

I awoke with a start. I was panting heavily. Where'd that come from? Maybe I must've eaten something nasty. I'd never had nightmares like that one before. It wasn't frightening though, it'd just been a foul memory.

I took a deep breath and relaxed. It was dawn, possibly around 5:00am. Amber was fast asleep inside the bonfire and Michael was slumped on top of a rock. His position looked uncomfortable, yet he looked happy on his little rock. Sasuka was sleeping face-up with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. She was snoring loudly.

I couldn't go back to sleep. I already had the energy I needed for the whole day. The problem was, I just couldn't go off on my own. Maybe I could wonder around until my partners woke up? They probably wouldn't mind.

I stood up and walked around, trying to stay near the campsite. It was silent and rather cold, but I didn't mind. I wandered a little farther into the bushes. I left my paw prints on the snow. The skies were a bit cloudy, but no snow was falling. I'd never minded the winter, or cared, although I did miss being able to make snow angels.

I began to hum almost inaudibly, trying to cure my boredom. I needed to entertain myself with something other than trees and rocks. I noticed the lack of wild pokémon. Even at this hour, nocturnal pokémon were supposed to still be around. It was this realization that made me want to head back. I turned and began to walk the opposite way, but a voice stopped me. "Looks like I have a last minute meal."

I turned just in time to knock back an Ice Beam attack with Sucker Punch. My eyes widened as the attacker stepped out from the bushes. It was a big, bulky pokémon with whitish blue fur, large, sharp, black claws, and icicles under its chin. If my memory served right, this pokémon was known as Beartic, and they were only around during winter.

Lucky me, it was winter.

The Beartic roared and I stumbled back. "Come here!" He boomed. Yeah, right, like I was that stupid. I drew the water from my body, creating a sphere in my mouth before shooting it at Beartic. It splashed against his face, and instead of doing damage, it only got him angrier. It seemed that special attacks wouldn't be very effective against the big fat bear. So I had to rely on physical attacks.

I charged at Beartic. The ice type swung down its glowing claws and stopped my Faint Attack. I landed right in front of him. He lifted his feet to try to stomp on me, but I slid quickly slid between his legs until I was behind him. The Beartic had no time to react as I jumped in the air and struck him with my Double-Edge. The mighty bear fell.

There were possibly more Beartic in the area, just looking for prey. I didn't want another fight, especially since my back ached so badly. I was probably injured, which sucked. I sighed as I headed back to the campsite, wincing at the pain.

When I got back, Michael was just getting up. Amber was still sleeping, although the fire had been put out. I lied down as if everything were fine. "Good morning." I said with a yawn. Michael finished adjusting his scarf before he gave me a look. "Where were you?" He asked. Whoa, nice way to start a conversation. "I was taking a walk." I simply replied. It was true, after all. "What pokemon did you run into? You have claw wounds on your back." He said. Oh, just great. That Beartic's Night Slash had actually left marks. They didn't hurt too much, though. Michael walked up to me and his paw hovered over the injuries. "Beartic, just one though. I wouldn't be surprised if it was part of a pack." I said. "Those pokémon are active this time of year…I don't think they'll go hibernating anytime soon." Michael said. "What?" I asked. I really didn't understand most of his nerd-talk. "Beartic hibernate through the whole year until winter. That's why they hunt a lot and are very abundant this time of year." Michael explained. "I don't want to run into another one." I said. "Then we should head out. I'll awaken Sasuka, you get Amber." Michael commanded as he went over to get his bag ready.

Oh why did _I _have to do it? Amber wasn't exactly a morning person! If she woke up without torching someone, then it'd be a miracle. And so I stared at her for a good five minutes. I settled on a basic. "Amber, good morning, rise and shine!" I shouted, kicking her lightly. Her eyes immediately snapped open along with her jaw, and I knew what was next. Fire came from her mouth and nearly roasted me, but I jumped out of the way. "Watch it!" I barked. She blinked few times and yawned. "Huh? Where did everyone go?" She snapped up and looked at her surroundings, then frowned. "Oh, right…it was just a dream." She muttered. "Another human dream, huh?" I asked. "Yeah, why'd you wake me up? I was getting to the good part!" She protested. "Well _sorr-y _but we have to get going." I said.

We were quickly on our way. The trees were covered with snow and so was the ground. We often saw harmless pokemon on the road, like Wurmple and Rattata. Hostile pokemon were rare in areas like these, especially in winter, when most powerful pokemon were hibernating, such as Ursaring.

Sasuka was leading the way, skipping. She'd said she knew the road pretty well, so we'd had no option but to let her guide us. So far, she was on a good path, but she kept getting distracted at the stupidest things! I swear! Once she stopped just to look at a Joltik on a tree! EW…those blue, beady eyes…those legs…ugh, no way! If one were to land on me right now, I'd scream.

We were all silent, except for Sasuka, who was humming some song. "It's awfully quiet around here." Michael said. "Some pokemon are still sleeping. We better keep our voices down." Amber said lowly. "What did you say?" Sasuka asked loudly. We all shushed her. "Keep your voice down! And stop humming." Michael scolded lowly. "Fine, pushy." Sasuka whispered.

We kept walking along the road. We had to jump fallen trees a few times and skate on frozen puddles. But when Amber tried to cross a frozen body of water, the ice melted under her paws, and she fell in. We had to haul her out of the icy water. She was shivering madly, her teeth clattering. "I-I t-think m-my f-fire w-w-went o-out." She said. "Yikes that water's cold!" Sasuka protested as she dipped a claw into the water. "Should we take a break here?" I asked. "N-no, let's k-keep moving." Amber insisted. Then she held out her paw toward Michael, and he gave her a confused stare. "Your s-scarf, p-please." She said. "Oh, sure." He said as he took it off and wrapped it around her neck. After the small incident, we kept walking.

Even though the sun was shining brightly, it was still cold out. I wished Amber hadn't fallen into the icy water, because she had been our only source of heat. Now that she was cold, we were getting even colder. I sighed in exasperation. "Gods, just how father away is it?" I shouted angrily. The others shushed me, but a growl near us told me it was too late.

"Food!" Someone shouted from the trees. They rustled, and soon a Beartic tore through them. He roared mightily. "Oh, shit…" I mumbled. "What the heck is that?" Sasuka shouted. "Duck!" Michael said as the Beartic swung his big arm at us. We all ducked and evaded it. Well, it was battle time. Again.

Michael quickly jumped up and dove in with a Bullet Punch, hitting Beartic right in the face. Before Michael got to jump away, the ice type grabbed his arm, roared, and tossed him against Sasuka. They crashed on the snow, Sasuka on top of him. Poor guy.

I opened my mouth and shot Water Pulse. It was a direct hit, but the bear seemed too strong to even feel it! "Amber! Why are you just standing there? Torch his ass or something!" I shouted. Amber was still shivering, but she put on a firm look. She inhaled deeply, opened her mouth and…nothing came out but a spark. "Eh?" She muttered. My eyes widened. "You've gotta be kidding me!" I shouted outraged.

Soon the Beartic grew tired of simply standing there, so he opened his mouth and realized a flurry of icicles and frosty air. I was the only one hit, but it did hurt! I fell down. "Hey man, what the Hell was that?" I growled. "That was Frost Breath and, agh, Sasuka, get off me!" Michael demanded. "Sorry, sorry!" Sasuka said as she jumped off him. By now the Beartic was simply outraged. He grabbed Sasuka and slammed her down against the snow. AN Ice Beam was shot from his mouth next, missing me entirely. "Hey, ugly! My grandma has better aim than you!" I mocked. The Beartic roared in anger. "Stop teasing it, Nicole!" Amber scolded. "Oh shut up, at least I'm fighting it!" I said.

The Beartic grabbed a whole load of snow into his arms. The snow then turned into sharp icicles, which then the bear hurled at us with great force. The were shiny, sharp icicles that seemed lethal. I was going to jumo out of the way, but when I tried, I couldn't move. I looked down in horror to realize the Ice Beam had not missed; it had frozen my feet. Michael, Sasuka, and Amber were all trapped as well.

Well, we were way would we survive that Icicle Crash. "I hope it's quick…" I muttered as I closed my eyes and turned my head, waiting for the impact.

"Watch out!"

* * *

_**Michael **_

My mind went blank as a sharp icicle flew past me, leaving a thin cut on my cheek.

"Watch out!"

The Beartic turned around and was met with a powerful blast of wind that sent him crashing to the ground. A green ball bounced up, and landed on his chest with a powerful blow. The Beartic roared in pain and fainted.

I panted heavily. My vision was blurry, mostly due to that Frost Breath hitting my eyes. I started to bleed through the cut, a small droplet of blood sliding down my face. I tried to move forward, but my feet were frozen. I struggled to break free, but I was unable to. "The more you move the harder it will be." An unfamiliar voice said. I looked around; I could see a small green blur approach me. It could talk? Just what was it?

"These damn Beartic don't know when to back down. They're desperate for food." The male stated. "Who are you? What happened to my friends?" I asked. "Oh, they're your friends? I sent them to sleep." He said. "Answer the first question!" I shouted. Suddenly, a strong scent hit my nostrils. It was very sweet, very nice. I caught myself liking it, sniffing it in. My vision cleared and my wound stopped bleeding. I felt the ice on my feet melt, releasing me. "Don't be so rude. I just saved your life, numbskull." The male said. Since my vision was clear, I looked down at the speaker. To my surprise, it was a tiny bush. Then it hit me. "Are you…are you C?" I asked. He looked up at me. He had scarlet eyes that bore into mine. "Why, yes. How do you know?" He inquired. "You were the one who sent Lady Calypso a message. I was there." I responded.

The bush pokémon wore a thoughtful expression. "Then you must be the Chosen One's escorts. Gods, you suck." He said. "Hey! We were at a disadvantage! Our living stove went out, for crying out loud!" I complained, gritting my teeth. The pokémon just 'humphed'. "Just what kind of pokémon are you, anyway?" I asked. "My name is C and I am a Shaymin." He said. Shaymin…the name sounded familiar, where had I heard it before? …Oh, that was right! Lady Calypso had once been a Shaymin! But the Shaymin I had in mind wasn't like the one I was facing. The one I imagined had wings on its head and a canine form. This one…this one was small and…not fierce-looking at all. Well, except for those eyes. Those scarlet eyes reflected strength, pure strength.

"SO, which one of these is the Chosen One?" C asked nonchalantly. "The Vulpix…Amber?" I muttered. I turned each and every way, only to find her laying there in the snow, unconscious but shivering. My eyes widened when I realized there was an icicle incrusted in one of her tails; it felt painful to even see it. I found it odd that it wasn't melting. I found it odder that I was at her side before I could even register my own movements.

I grabbed the icicle carefully. "I hope it doesn't hurt…" I muttered. "Just yank it out quickly. She won't feel it." C reassured. I did as I was told, and yanked it out as fast as I could. She didn't even move, but the wound began to bleed. I threw away the icicle. "She's in bad shape. I knew it was a bad idea to let Calypso handle things." C said as he inspected Amber. He placed his tiny paw on her wound, and I immediately swatted it away. "Don't touch her!" I complained. He perked an eyebrow. "Oh?" He said. I blushed. "I-I mean, s-she might wake up!" I said. Okay, that was a good save. "You don't expect me to carry her all the way to the city, do you?" C asked. "Uh…no." I admitted. "Good. Go check on your other friends, wake them up." He instructed. Just who did he think he was, giving me orders? Still, I did have to check on Nicole and Sasuka.

I jumped to Sasuka's side. She seemed just fine, although her feet were glued to the floor by ice. I raised my paw and slammed it down, breaking the ice with Brick Break. She was still sleeping, tongue hanging out, so I moved on to Nicole. To my horror, she was wounded. An icicle had gone right through her ear and blood was trickling from it. She had a small cut on her face. They were minor wounds.

I opened my bag and rummaged through it in a desperate attempt to find bandages. To my luck, I had a few. I got the white bandages. I dried the wound on her ear and carefully wrapped bandages around it. I just hoped she wouldn't notice the hole too soon. I then shook her lightly, seeing if she would wake up. "It won't work like that…" I heard Amber say. My eyes widened when she walked next to me, stumbling and looked at me blankly. "You gotta shake her like it's for dear life." She said. I nodded. I grabbed Nicole and shook her hard. Her eyes snapped open and her head began to spin. "Woah…dizzy…" She said. "I feel funny." She stated, stumbling to her feet. I really didn't feel like telling her about her ear; she would find out on her own.

"Thank you for helping us, lady." Amber told C. His eyes widened and his expression turned angry. "EXCUSE ME, but I am a MAN." He said. "Oh sorry, sorry! It's just…" Amber said. C sighed. "I know, don't sweat it, it happens often." He said. "Hey wait, aren't Shaymin supposed to have pink flowers?" Amber asked. Indeed, the two flowers on the sides of C's head were a crimson red, matching his eyes. "Well, yeah. But pink is too girly. So I painted them." C said. "Seriously? And to think I could've solved my skin problem that easily!" Nicole complained.

C sighed. "Come on, Amber, correct? I will escort you to Stahlkraft. The others may go home now." He said. My mouth fell open. "What? But we're traveling _together_!" I growled. "This isn't fair! You don't seriously expect me to swim all the way back to Sinnoh, right? I'm sticking with Amber!" Nicole protested. "Oh, thank you and all, but I'd like to stick to my friends…" Amber said. C perked an eyebrow. "Well then. Let's be on our way." He said. "Wait, you mean all of us?" I asked. "Of course. I haven't seen a team so united since…" He drifted off and heaved a sad sigh. "And wake up that Absol chick. We need to get there before nightfall." He instructed. "Leave it to me!" Nicole chirped. She walked up to the sleeping Sasuka and leaned down gently. "Oh Sasuka...GET THE HELL OFF THE SNOW, YOUR DROOL IS EVERYWHERE!" Nicole shouted. Sasuka bolted right up and tangled her legs around a random tree, teeth clattering. "Not funny!" She shouted. "Yes funny." I said, chuckling.

Suddenly, Amber hissed in pain. "My…my tail…" She mumbled. My eyes widened. The injury looked worse now. "We need to get that wound treated before it gets infected. Yours two, Delcatty." C said. "Huh? What are you…" She started before I panicked. "No, no! You must be delirious, C! Nicole is perfectly healthy! Right, Nicole?" I asked, desperate. "Uh…I guess." Nicole said. C looked confused. "But there was a hole-" He started, but I quickly grabbed a hold of him and turned my back to the girls. "Listen, that Delcatty over there isn't one who takes things lightly. Let's just pretend everything's fine until we get to a hospital and let the doctors suffer, not us, like that idea?" I whispered. "Oh, well, if you say so." C said. I let go of him. "Okay! Stahlkraft is just a few minutes away. Let's get there as fast as possible, got it? If any of you get held up, well too bad, because I'm only here for the Chosen One. Just because I'm helping you doesn't mean I like you. Let's go." He said as he began to walk away. "Turns out I don't like him either." I growled. "He's adorable! Just look at those tiny feet!" Sasuka squealed as she ran after C. Nicole sighed and ran after her. I stayed at a normal pace beside Amber, making sure she wouldn't fall behind because of her injury.

"Michael," Amber started. I perked an eyebrow. "Hm?" I muttered. "Thanks for coming along. I know Calypso didn't order you to do it." She said with a grin. I felt the urge to smile, but I held it back, I had to look cool. "Honestly, before you came along, I'd never left Azalea before. You were my ticket to adventure." I said, and it was true. I'd always wondered what the outside world was like, how it was outside of the books. I remembered the day Lady Calypso picked teams to hunt out Red Knight, and I was put in a team with Nicole and Amber. I thought about it and I was glad.

Amber chuckled for a second, and I looked at her. "You know, back when I first met you, I thought you were a total ass." She admitted. Ouch. That hurt. But, alas, it was true. "But now I think…you're a very good friend." She admitted. I had to look away to hide my blush. Oh, I hated blushing! But at least, it was keeping me warm. "T-thanks." I said. Oh gods, was that a stutter? What was wrong with me? Was I sick or something?

It had been around thirty minutes since we'd started walking. C had not said anything to us; just asked Amber some things. We were hungry and tired, and I really wanted to get to the city soon. The atmosphere had gotten warmer, and there was noise coming from not-too-far away. I guessed it was the sound of the city.

After a few more minutes, C came to an abrupt stop. We all stopped with him, staring at the back of his body, wondering why he'd halted. We looked up; there was a huge, closed gate in front of us. The gate had iron bars and the letters SK engraved on the lock. Beyond the gates I saw a street and few buildings. Yes, we'd made it to Stahlkraft City! "Is this it? Why did you stop?" I asked. Sasuka lurched forward happily, running toward the gates. C's eyes widened and a vine extended from his back, wrapping around Sasuka's leg and pulling her back. "No, moron! The infrared sensors trigger the guards." He scolded. "But there aren't any guards around…" Nicole muttered.

As if on cue, two pokemon emerged from the bushes. One was a Bastiodon and the other was a Carracosta. The Carracosta had a ray gun strapped to his side while the Bastiodon was unarmed. "_Halten Sie es für richtig da_!" They shouted. And, I was clueless. They were speaking a language unknown to me. My friends didn't seem to understand either, but C rolled his eyes at the guards. "_Beruhigen Sie sich_. I have the Chosen One with me." C said. The guards exchanged amazed looks. "Here she is." C said, stepping aside so the guards could see the nervous Amber. They whispered to each other in some other language and then Carracosta nodded. He saluted C. "You may enter!" He said. "_Vielen dank__.__"_ C said. The Bastiodon stomped the ground harshly and the gates began to open automatically.

C motioned to us to follow him. He dropped Sasuka and walked past the gates. We didn't hesitate to follow. The Carracosta gave me cold look as I passed. The snow beneath my paws was soon replaced by the cold asphalt. The sound of outrageously high music hit my ears. The sound of police sirens, cars honking, and people talking and shouting really made me feel like I was back at Ameithus City. But this place was way different than said place. The streets were dirty and so were the buildings. Trash was laying around on the floor. There were unfriendly-looking pokémon walking around, and about a handful of humans. The first buildings were mostly apartments.

C guided us through the sidewalk rather warily. He kept glancing in different directions. He stopped before we passed an alleyway. "Hold on." He said. We stayed where we were as C took a step forward. Out from the shadows jumped a Banette and Sasuka screamed. C seemed to be prepared though; he tackled down the pokémon and shot an Energy Ball right at its face. He used Psychic to pick up the Banette and tossed it back into the alley against a dumpster. "What the Hell was that?" Nicole shouted. "We have to be careful. There are many criminals hanging around this city, and they prefer to hide in alleys and dumpsters." C stated. Sasuka gulped.

Amber sighed. "Where exactly are we going?" She asked. C looked around for a minute before he spoke. "The Federal Rebel Institution." He whispered. "Why are you whispering?" I asked. He shushed me. "This is an Omegan city. The F.R.I is hidden in the depths of this place. Nobody knows about it except for its members. The two guards outside are rebels, which is why they let you all pass." He explained. Now I understood. It made sense that this city homed omegans; it was a dangerous and dirty place. "And how father away is that institution? " Amber asked. "Not much further; near the docks." C said. "Let's keep going." He said before he turned around and continued walking down the sidewalk.

It was around noon when we decided to stop somewhere to eat. The entrance was hidden in a dark alley and the door was simple. C was the first to enter, pushing open the door with little effort. He looked around for approval and then motioned us to come inside. It was a small establishment with no windows, dim lighting, brick walls, and carpeted flooring. There were a few round tables, each with five chairs, and booths. We picked a booth in a corner. But when they sat down, Amber and C were much too small to even see the surface of the table. Amber sighed in exasperation. Nicole tried to hold down a laugh. I said **tried**. "Waitress!" C called. A woman came up to him. "This seat is too small." C said. The waitress dug into her pocket and dug out a fancy remote, which she handed to him. He pressed a few buttons and immediately, his seat and Amber's seemed to rise until they were adjusted correctly. "Woah." I muttered. C gave the waitress the remote back. "_Vielen dank_, now bring us whatever you have, _bitte." _C ordered. The waitress nodded and left.

"What language was that?" I asked. "It's German. Stahlkraft speaks English, but mostly German." C asked. The waitress came back and placed a basket full of garlic bread on the table. Bring me some Occa berry pie." C ordered. "Okay, what will you be having? " She asked, turning to the rest of us. "Ice cream!" Sasuka chirped. "How can you want ice cream? We're in the middle of winter!" Nicole said. "Because I crave ice cream!" Sasuka chirped. "Uh...give me something with a Tamato or Spelon berry in it." Amber said. "I'll just stick to the bread." I said. The waitress nodded and left again. I grabbed a piece of bread and ate it whole.

The waitress came back and handed everyone what they'd asked for. Sasuka began eating her ice cream wildly and Nicole…well; pretty much ate bread the same way. Amber had gotten a Tamato berry kebab. She wasn't hesitant to eat the spicy food. In my opinion, she was trying to get her fire back.

After we were all full, the waitress came back and placed the bill. "So...which one of you's gonna pay for everything?" C asked. My mouth fell open. "You mean you don't have any money?" Nicole shouted. "Of course not." C said. I sighed in exaperation and as I cursed under my breath, I rummaged around my bag for money. I dropped ten gold coins on the table and got up, ready to leave. "_Vielen dank_." C said to the lady. Everyone followed me out.

* * *

We were at the docks. There were absolutly no ships in the water. The skies were getting cloudy; surely it would snow soon. The water was calm but dark. I could see the fins of Sharpedo poking out from underneath the water. I saw a lot of fishing nets on the floor and the area reeked of dead fish.

"Well, C? Where is that place you were talking about?" Nicole hissed. "Hold on a minute. I'm waiting for our ride." C said. "Ride? Okay, what are you talking about?" I asked. This guy really had me confused. He was the worst escort ever! "The institution lies underwater, duh. We need a submarine to get there." C explained.

And so we waited. After a few minutes, there was a ripple in the water. A small telescope poked out. After inspecting the area, something bigger began to rise. It was a large vehicle that had the form and color of a blue-stripe Basculin. It was a rather funny design. Light flashed from its eyes and landed on C. After a few seconds, its mouth opened wide. "Well, what are you waiting for?" C asked. "But it's gonna eat us!" Sasuka whined. I face-palmed. "It's a machine, Sasuka. That's the entrance." I told her. She didn't seem too convinced. "Okay guys, I'm going in!" Nicole said. She reared back and ran foward with enthusiasm before giving a big leap and landing on the Basculin's tongue. The submarine shut its mouth and opened it again, but Nicole wasn't in there. "That's so cool!" Sasuka shouted. "Me next, me next!" She shouted as she jumped in. The process was repeated. I wanted to get this over with, so I followed. I jumped into the mouth of the submarine and it closed, making me slide down the tongue until I entered the vehicle.

The inside was nothing too fancy. The room was lit brightly, the silver flooring was clean and shiny, and the walls were a metallic silver. There were a lot of contraptions I didn't even know about. What I could identify ere the radar and sonar. There was a Mienshao on a chair, looking into the telescope.

After some seconds, Amber slid into the submarine and landed on the cold floor. I helped her up. Finally, C slid down. He walked over to the Mienshao. "_Willkommen_, C." She said, stepping away and sitting down on a different chair, probably to stir the vehicle. There was a heavy German accent in her voice. "Ah, Suigetsu, _vielen dank_. You never fail me." C said. "Well, it is only my job." She replied. "Now tell me, _wer ist das_?" She asked in her language. "Suigetsu, this is Amber Salvador," C said, motioning to Amber. "And the rest are her friends." He said. I felt irritated that he wouldn't even learn our names. "Pleasure to meet you, Amber. I take you are our special guest?" The Mienshao asked, shaking paws with Amber. "Um, yes." She replied. "Wonderful! And you," Mienshao turned to me. "What is your name, fellow fighting type?" She asked. "I'm Michael Phoebus." I replied. She joined her hands and gave me a respectful bow. I mirrored her action. Bowing was a common gesture among us fighting type pokemon. My parents had taught me that it was a sign of respect and intelligence. In other words, I would've looked stupid if I hadn't done it.

"Fight me, young Michael." Suigetsu invited. "What? You mean, right here?" I asked, shocked. "Yes, here. C, you get us back to the institute!" She shouted. "I'm on it." C said, hopping on the chair and stirring the submarine with Psychic. Suigetsu cracked her knuckles and got on a fighting stance. "_Komm her!" _She said. I didn't need to speak German to understand she was telling me to 'come on'. And so I got in position.

* * *

_**Amber**_

Nicole, Sasuka, and I huddled up together in a corner, making sure we weren't in the range of the upcoming fight. I ignored the pain in my tails and tried to focus on the battle. It really was the first time I'd see Michael in a one on one battle. I really wanted to see how he could manage on his own.

The Mienshao was the first to move. She lurched forward and slapped Michael with both hands. He fell over with wide eyes; flinched. Then the Mienshao joined her arms and a blue sphere began to form between her paws. "Careful, Michael! That's Aura Sphere!" I warned. Michael shook his head and jumped up. He came down on Mienshao with a quick Bullet Punch, striking her gut and making her drop the incomplete Aura Sphere.

Sasuka was cheering and Nicole was barely paying attention. She was busy admiring the insides of the submarine. She started to look out a window, watching as the Finneon swam by. She pressed her face to the glass. "Don't do that; your face will get stuck like that." I warned. "Nya." She whined. I sighed and looked back at the battle.

Mienshao (Suigetsu, was it?) jumped in the air like an acrobat and came down on Michael. He was knocked into a wall and the submarine shook at the impact. "Hey, easy back there!" C complained. Michael struggled to get up. He lunged at Suigetsu with a Bullet Punch, but she put her arms up and a bluish glow engulfed her. When Michael's fists hit her she didn't even flinch, she just knocked him back. "What was that?" Sasuka asked me. "A move called Quick Guard. It shields the user from priority moves." I explained. "Oooooooh." Sasuka said in awe.

Michael had to switch to Brick Break, which cut through Suigetsu's Quick Guard like it was nothing. She jumped back with a summersault trying to gain distance, but Michael raised his arms and created the whitish bubbles of Hidden Power, flinging them at her. Suigetsu began to Karate Chop the air, popping the bubbles before they got to her. But one lone bubble reached her and popped against her forehead, and the martial arts pokemon recoiled from the super-effective blow.

"Very well done, young Riolu." She complimented. "But you have much to learn!" She screeched as she lunged toward him. He tried to evade by jumping, but she also took a leap with her knee up high, ramming Michael with the powerful High Jump Kick. Michael fell, bruised and defeated. "Oh my gods that was sooo cool!" Sasuka shouted. "Michael, you okay?" I asked as I neared him. Michael's eyes had been replaced with swirls and his tongue was hanging out. "Oh well, I guess you're unconscious." I sighed. Suigetsu bowed in all respect. "A good battle, that was." She said. Really, it would take some time for me to get used to that German accent of hers.

"This thing is too slow, do you know where you're going?" Suigetsu asked angrily as she walked up to C. She pushed him off the chair and he landed with his back against the floor. His feet flailed and he cursed. "That was mean!" He protested. "I never said I was nice." Suigetsu replied, getting ready to stir the submarine.

So after a few minutes, I felt the submarine stop moving. The mouth opened and C guided us out. We stepped into the large undersea cavern, and I was greatly amazed. It was large cave with water running down the walls and falling into the pit from where we'd emerged. There was a large building with a round ceiling inside the cavern, blocking completely what lay beyond. Large pillars adorned the double-door entrance. There were small round windows. The walls were painted bright red and the ceiling was a dark tone of orange. There were many crystal jutting out from the walls and floor of the cavern, and they glowed beautifully. There were large stone statues of Mew and Arceus at the entrance. It was really an amazing place, and it reminded me of my beloved Indigo Plateau.

"What…what is this place?" I asked in awe. "_Willkommen auf_…the Federal Rebel Institute." C stated. "Wow…" Sasuka said. Nicole's mouth was hanging open. "I bet this place has a spa!" She chirped. "I bet there's a hospital in there…" I muttered. "Oh right, your injury…" C muttered thoughtfully. "Let's get inside; they're expecting you." He said. It sounded like a really good idea, so I nodded. We were about to make our way in when we heard a noise. We turned around sharply to see a ripple in the water.

"_Was ist los_?" Suigetsu angrily barked. The rippled turned into bubbles. "We were followed." C growled. "You four; get inside. We'll handle this." C instructed. I would've objected, but I was tired and wounded; I had no energy to fight. I whipped my good tails at Nicole and the unconscious Michael and wrapped them around their feet, dragging them inside with me (while Nicole protested). Sasuka wasn't a problem; she just skipped inside. The doors slid open and we entered a chilly room. I really couldn't focus on my surroundings at the moment; I just pressed my face to the glass and watched what was going on outside.

From where I was, I saw a pokemon jump out of the water. It was a Crawdaunt wearing a tight red bandanna around his head, making the star on his almost invisible. "We've found it! Now to tear it down!" He shouted. There were more ripples in the water and more pokemon popped out and landed on the ground. Amongst them were Corphish, Tirtouga, Golduck, and Qwilfish. The pokemon all looked smug and angry. "Omegans…" Suigetsu hissed. More and more pokemon kept crawling out from the water and onto the rocky surface.

I was simply amazed as Suigetsu was the first to move, blasting away three Tirtouga with a single Aura Sphere. C followed. The leaves on his back began to glow and detached themselves from his body, although he still had a lot to cover him. They gained multiple colors and chased down the Crawdaunt and Corphish. Not a single one managed to evade the Magical Leaf. The Crawdaunt got back on his feet and opened his claws, a powerful Hyper Beam shooting from one and a Dark Pulse from the other. Suigetsu stepped in front of the Hyper Beam and began doing some elegant moves with her whips until they gained a faint white color. She then swung the whole area around her in one swift move, slicing the beam and disintegrating it. I gasped when I realized the attack had been a Wide Slash; a move that I also knew.

The Dark Pulse was aimed at C, who was busy fighting a Golduck. The Dark Pulse was almost on it, and I instinctively lurched forward, out of the building. "Look out!" I yelled. I found myself thinking maliciously. My own Dark Pulse shot from my mouth, powerful enough to cancel the Crawdaunt's. C turned around to stare at me with wide eyes. "Stay inside! We can't risk you!" He scolded. What an ungrateful mutt. "I do whatever I want." I seethed. Now I was really ticked off by the fact I'd done nothing all day. If I could help, then damn it, I would!

I knew pretty well I was temporarily out of fire, which was okay, considering all of the enemies were water type pokemon. It also meant I'd have to watch out for their moves. I had the perfect attack against them.

A Golduck lunged at me, but I opened my mouth and unleashed the green Energy Ball. The move impacted the pokemon's chest before it fell down, defeated. I shot another one at an incoming Corphish. These pokemon were really easy to defeat. They seemed to be at a low level.

Suigetsu and C were very good fighters. Suigetsu had very powerful physical moves such as the dangerous High Jump Kick and C was very good with special ones, like his Energy Ball. Then a thought rushed to me. C was a Shaymin; he had access to a second form. Why would he stick to the defensive Land Form during battle? I knew that a Gracidea flower was needed for the form change, but…really, it was rather obvious he had access to one, so why would he stick to Land Form?

C blasted back the rest of the Qwilfish into the water with a single Air Slash. Suigetsu kicked the Corphish out of here with High Jump Kick. All that remained were like two or three Golduck, and the leading Crawdaunt. The latter fired a Swift from the star on its forehead. The countless shiny stars spiraled around all of us. After making sure we couldn't escape, the Swift made impact. Swift was normally a weak move, but given I'd already sustained damage, it hurt more than it should've. I had open cuts around my legs and back. Suigetsu barely had a scratch on her, but C looked tired. His eyes started glowing neon blue and he blasted a Golduck against a wall using Psychic. "I'm sick and tired of these omegans!" He seethed.

"C! Fetch!" Someone shouted. I looked back to see a very familiar-looking Lopunny at the door of the building toss a beautiful pink flower quite professionally. The flower flew all the way over to C, who jumped in the air to catch it in his mouth. Not one second later his whole body became engulfed in yellow light. His body began to change shape, growing taller, legs getting longer, growing a neck, wings extending from the sides of his head. When the light vanished, C's lips curled into a smirk. One of his fangs glistened. He was in his Sky Form now!

"Let's see how you like this!" He shouted, flying up in the air. The Crawdaunt sent him a dangerous glare, but C didn't care. A lot of energy began to gather into his flower-scarf, making it take on a glow. More and more energy seeped into his body and soon C's red eyes also seemed to shine. He curled up all of a sudden. "SEED FLARE!" He shouted as he uncurled his body, letting loose a powerful, mighty explosion of great energy that blasted away each and veery last of the opponents back into the water and making the cavern itself shutter. I was blown back by such intensity and found myself rolling back into the building.

When it was all over, C descended, panting, and walked through the glass doors. Suigetsu followed, holding the defeated Crawdaunt in her arms. She threw him at the floor harshly. "Fellow rebels, we will be dinning seafood tonight!" She shouted. All the pokemon in the room burst into cheers.

C came panting and crashed next to me. "You are not what I expected." He said. "Oh? And what _were_ you expecting?" I asked, also panting. "A fully-evolved, spoiled brat." He said. "You might be small but…you fit the Chosen One description." He admitted. "I do? But…I barely did anything." I muttered. "But you _did _something instead of staying inside like I told you. Salvador, you are a true rebel. Welcome to the Federal Rebel Institute."

* * *

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY THE ORDER OF ARCEUS! HAPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUU! Yes! Today I'm celebrating The Order of Arceus's one-year anniversary! That's right! I started writing this fic exactly one year ago. I feel warm inside! **

**In this celebration, I have replaced the first 5 chapters, prologue included, with their remastered versions! I've corrected all errors, especially the dialogue style, and added some scenes! Not only that, but soon I might post a special chapter!**

**Thank you for C, Brandon! Keep in mind that from this point onward, you have my permission to start Five Years of Gratitude whenever you like! If it weren't for you and all of my dear reviewers, this story would've never reached its 1-year anniversary. **

**CHAPTER TRIVIA:**

***Suigetsu is actually my Mienshao. But you know what? My Suigetsu is male. **

***Beartic can only learn Night Slash through breeding.**

***I made up the whole Beartic hibernation thing. It's MINE.**

***Crawdaunt does not learn Swift via level up nor breeding, but it can via move tutor in gens 3 and 4. **

***Shaymin cannot actually learn the move Vine Whip. Although I do think all grass pokemon are able to use vines instead of hands.**

**SPECIAL CHARACTER SUMMARY:**

**Name: C**

**Species: Shaymin **

**Nature: Bold**

**Moves: Magical Leaf, Air Slash, Energy Ball, Psychic, Seed Flare, Defense Curl.**

**Age: 5 years**

**Preferred food: Bitter**

**OC Owner: somerandomguy42**

**That's it for this chapter! And guess what? I TURN 14 TOMORROW! HUZZAH!**

**Read and review please! REVIEW!**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN! **


	19. Curse of the Iron Maiden

**Hey! First AN at the top since...well since chapter one! xD Anyway, I'm putting my note here to make sure you read it. Recently, a nice reviewer pointed out that a new paragraph should be started every time a new person speaks. I thank you for letting me know, I was nto aware. However, I will nto change the style of this fanfic. Why? I have grown accostumed to writting like this, and OA will remain as it is. My new stories, however, will all follow the rule of the paragraphs. I realized doing that, my chapters are shorter! I invite you to compare _The Change of the Seaons _to _The Order of Arceus, _and you'll see the big difference. **

**Okay, the bigger note is at the end of the chapter, hope you enjoy!**

**(And by the way, I am well aware that Iron maiden is a band! I originally was going to name this chapter 'curse of the _steel _maiden', but then I though that it didn't sound good. So I realized that referencing one of my favorite bands would be a nice detail!)**

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The Order of Arceus

Chapter Eighteen

Curse of the Iron Maiden

_A light shone brightly in the night, swaying beautifully to alert the passing ships at sea. I stared down at my brand new Gym Badge; the Mineral Badge. I took one final glance at the majestic lighthouse before slumping down on my bed with Nina and falling asleep._

When I woke up, I realized I was in a hospital room. Well, I obviously was in no hospital, but that was what the room looked like to me. I was laying on a bed with white sheets. I noticed the Mienshao from yesterday preparing some kind of drink. She was wearing a white lab coat.

"I see you are awake." Suigetsu said, pouring a green liquid into a glass. "Um…yeah. What happened last night?" I asked, stretching my legs. Suigetsu walked up to me and offered me the glass. "Well, you passed out from exhaustion, simple as that. Drink this Elixir, it will restore the PP of your moves." She replied. I sat up and let her pour the drink down my throat, since I had no hands to grab the glass. After it was half empty she stopped and saved the rest. The Elixir was sweet with a hint of bitter, and it helped restore me.

"Your friends Michael, the Absol and that Delcatty woke up a while ago," Suigetsu stated as she rummaged around a drawer. "Their names are Sasuka and Nicole, respectively." I informed her. It was no surprise to me they were yet to introduce themselves. Nicole usually didn't give up her name easily; I was the one who normally introduced her. Sasuka…well, I didn't think she paid enough attention to notice she was stranger.

Suigetsu pulled out a needle with red liquid inside. She hit the needle with a finger gently, testing the sturdiness before turning to me. A lump formed in my throat as I stared at the length of that thing, and the pointy end. "You're not serious," I muttered. "Oh, I am, now be a good dog and stay still." Suigetsu ordered. I barked at her. "What is that anyway?" I asked. "_Beruhigen Sie sich_, it is just Calcium. It will make your special attacks even stronger." She explained. I sighed. "Fine, but make it quick." I said, breathing deeply. "Just count to ten, it will be over quick." She promised.

One…Two…Three…

I barely felt it. "See? No need to be so dramatic." Suigetsu said. I scoffed.

There was a knock on the door. Well, rather, a lot of knocks on the door. "Suigetsu! How the Hell do I open this door?" A female shouted from the other side. Suigetsu rolled her eyes. "Have you tried asking nicely?" She said. "Door, could you please open? IT'S NOT WORKING." The person said, banging harder. Suigetsu sighed in irritation as she went over to the door and gave it a light touch, making the doors slide open to reveal a Lopunny with very short ears. She had cinnamon brown eyes and her fur was dirty and untrimmed. There was a dingy, beat up Silk Scarf tied around her left ear. And then it hit me.

"Canella!"

* * *

We did some catching-up as Canella and I walked down the hallway. Apparently, she'd ended up joining the F.R.I. shortly after stumbling into Stahlkraft City. She told me she had been exhausted upon arriving when C (whom she described as "the walking bush") had found her and helped her. It seemed to me that C was well known in the institution.

"So, how are the others?" Canella asked. "Well, Nicole learned a new move recently, Michael's gotten better at battles, and Ethan evolved." I said. "Well, I'll be. I thought he'd never get to be an Arbok! Good for him. Where is he?" She asked. "Um…we kind of left him behind at Azalea. He chose to stay." I stated carefully. Oh, how I wished I could contact Ethan and tell him who I'd just reunited with. I was certain he would've been overjoyed. But alas, my communicator was not cooperating recently, and I could not reach Morty anymore.

_Morty…_

As I thought about it, the sudden loss of communication seemed suspicious. Had we simply lost signal? I doubted it was the case. I felt the urge to leave Stahlkraft to check Azalea, a place that had grown to become important to me, as it was the current residence of most of my friends. Michael's family also lived there. I wondered about Lady Calypso. Was she doing alright? I sure hoped so.

"I came here to Stahlkraft looking for someone…but for now, I'm still without any leads." Canella sadly stated. "Who is this mysterious person you're so desperate to find?" I asked, curiosity nipping at me. When we had separated, she had stated it was so she could look for someone. But just who was it?

A faint blush quickly became present on her cheeks. "Just a guy you don't know." She said simply without meeting my gaze. I rapidly caught up to everything, perking an eyebrow, a grin on my face. "Oh, I see." I said.

"What? What do you see?" Canella barked.

"Oh, nothing." I sang. Before Canella could reply, I caught a glimpse of a blue tail at the end of the hallway. "Hey, Michael!" I called. Michael emerged from the room he was in, blinking a few times before walking towards us.

"Hey," He said. "Canella?" He asked as he lifted his head. "Who else?" Canella said, crossing her arms. "It's good to see you again. We'll catch up later. Amber, have you seen Nicole?" Michael asked me. I shook my head. "I only know Sasuka is at the cafeteria having lunch. I thought Nicole was with you." I said. "Well, she isn't. I saw her this morning but now I can't find her." He replied.

"I'm sure she's fine. C'mon, let's go, I'm hungry!" Canella complained. She grabbed us by our tails and lifted us into the air, carelessly and easily carrying us through the hallway as we complained. "We're not bags, you know!" I protested. She didn't care. Ah, good ol' Canella.

Canella dropped us at a table when we reached a cafeteria. It was large area and there were many pokemon eating. But there was one table, just one, with humans. There were only seven of them. Two were girls, the other were guys. And they didn't look friendly either. One of them had a robot arm instead of a real one. Another had a long scar running up his neck and face. One of the girls was wearing an eye patch. The other one had her arm in a cast.

The pokemon were no different. Like a Machamp that had only two arms, the other two were mechanical. There was a Swellow without feathers on its wings, as if they'd been ripped off. There was a Fraxure with broken tusks sitting beside the Swellow. On another table, isolated from the rest, was a large Charizard with a lot of scars on its body. Its eyes were a deep scarlet and its skin was a darker shade of red. I saw its fangs were longer than normal when it opened its maw to devour a whole piece of meat. Its wings were slightly torn at the end. The fire type's tail flame was burning really high; if I remembered correctly, a Charizard's tail flame would be more intense the more battles it had experienced.

Canella noticed I was staring. "You're probably wondering who that is." She said lowly, crossing her arms. "He's the chief of the F.R.I. He knows everything that goes on, and who joins. He probably already knows you're here." She stated without waiting for my reply. I just kept staring at the intimidating Charizard, wondering about his past. I knew one thing for sure, though: I didn't want to make that pokemon angry.

Canella got me a plate of food that consisted of a salad, a Cheri berry, and meatballs. I didn't eat meat often, since Vulpix were usually herbivores, but I still had an appetite for it. Canella gave Michael the same food, only there was a bone on his plate. "Oh, that is just a stereotype…" Michael grumbled, glaring at her. "Just chew your bone and be a good boy." Canella said as she sat down to eat her ham. Michael mumbled a few curses before trying out his lunch.

I was quiet as I ate, examining each and every table. On the one next to us I saw Suigetsu and a Floatzel laughing over a joked they'd made. C was on the table too, silently enjoying his fried seafood. I shivered as I recalled that was the Crawdaunt we'd defeated yesterday. He noticed my stare and gave a small smile before returning to his food. The Floatzel suddenly looked at him and said something I could not hear. Then it turned its head to look at us, and I looked away, naturally. I was just nibbling on my spicy Cheri before a heavy, wet pokémon slammed against my back. "Oh hello there!" He said. I struggle to break free of his grasp, whoever he was.

"Go away, Ronny." Canella sneered. "Don't be so mean, honey! Oh, I see you're suffocating, I'm sorry!" The Ronny guy apologized as he got off me. I panted heavily before I turned around to growl at the pokémon. I saw he was a Floatzel, but a rather peculiar one. He was wearing a purple fedora and had a piercing on his left ear. He was wearing two silver rings on each paw and had magenta tattoos all over his floatation sack. "I get too excited when I see new faces; my bad! My name is Ronny, honey! What's yours?" He said. My eyes were wide as I just stared at him. His sissy accent really had me confused. Was Ronny a boy or a girl? I didn't actually know now. "I…I'm Amber. And, could you turn around for a second?" I asked. "Sure thing! Just don't try anything, honey!" He chirped as he spun around and I caught a glimpse of his back. There were two cream spots of fur on his skin, which confirmed he was, well, a _he_.

Ronny turned back around and smiled. "Amber, eh? Then that means you're the powerful Chosen One! Oh, how marvelous!" He giggled and grabbed my paw with both of his, and we shook paws. "I can't wait to see you in action!" He chirped. Well, although he had a weird appearance, he seemed like a nice guy, but his accent was getting on my nerves. "Ha…you flatter me. I'm not as powerful as people think." I admitted. The water type shook his head. "I've heard so much about you! How about we have a little battle later?" He invited.

"Beat it, Gaylord, we're trying to have a nice meal!" Canella barked. Ronny glared at her and put his paws on his hips. "Well EXCUSE me, dear, but I'm talking to the lady! You know, that's why that crush of yours doesn't want you!" He argued. Canella snarled, revealing fangs. "Shut up!" She yelled. "Canella, please," I begged. "Cut it out." I said. "Ronny, I would love to battle you." I said, turning to the Floatzel. He clapped in joy and smiled. "Fabulous! I'll see you after lunch, honey!" He said before turning around. "Toodles!" He waved as he walked away, waving his hips as he went.

"That guy has issues." Michael mumbled as he chewed on his bone. "You see? In the end you like your bone." Canella said. Michael rolled his eyes and kept gnawing at it. I was done with my food, so I burned my tray to ashes and hopped off the table. "I'm done. I'm going to look for Nicole and Sasuka; I'll see you guys later." I told Canella and Michael. They nodded and Canella snapped her fingers. "Don't get lost, kid." She warned. "I won't." I said, although I wasn't sure about that.

I left the cafeteria and walked down the cold hallway. I made it to the main lobby, and I was impressed with it. The doors and the lights were automatic. The floor literally cleaned itself; a Flaffy walked in with mud on its feet and left its muddy footprints on the floor, which then absorbed the mud. I was very impressed with the technology.

I walked up to the secretary, a dark woman writing on her holographic notebook. "Hey," I called. "Have you seen an Absol or Delcatty walk by?" I asked her. The woman looked down at me and kept staring for a few minutes. "No. Let me check the security cameras." She said before spinning on her chair to face a computer screen. With her finger, she dragged the hologram of a camera into the screen. The computer then showed a lot of panels that showed several areas inside the building. She started to scroll through the panels with her finger, until a panel showed a battlefield, on which two pokémon were in midst of battle. "Well, I don't know about the Absol, but your Delcatty friend is down at the battlefield training." The secretary stated. I sighed. "Thank you. Would you mind telling me how to get there?" I asked. The woman nodded. "Not at all. Just stay where you are and hold onto your stomach." She said. "What?" Suddenly the floor beneath me opened, and I fell through the hole. I was falling down a shaft that seemed endless, but throughout the fall I made no sound.

Finally I saw something below. It was a large, red airbag. I landed harshly against it, bouncing a few times before I hopped off.

"Nice moves, but you won't win!" A Sneasel said as he picked himself up from the ground. Nicole was standing across the battlefield, panting heavily. They were in the middle of a battle, so I decided to sit there as a spectator. "That's what you think." Nicole replied. As she leapt into the air, her fur began to sparkle, and those sparkles extended to become a cloak of light. She rammed into the Sneasel with a powerful Double-Edge, which made him crash into a wall. Nicole was on the ground, and her knees buckled as she felt the recoil. Ouch. That had to hurt.

The Sneasel slowly got up. He locked eyes with Nicole, angling them in determination. He lurched forward with his claws drawn, making them sparkle. They expanded and gained a silvery glow, like metal. Nicole waited for the last second to turn around, her tail taking on a deep purple color. She slammed the Sneasel with her tail, causing the dark-type's move to be nullified and pushing him back. That was Sucker Punch.

The Sneasel didn't surrender, however. As he was on the ground, a clear blue beam shot out of his mouth, freezing Nicole's backside totally. Her hind legs were frozen, and she was unable to move. I stared in amusement as she wriggled to break free; cursing all the while she did so. The Sneasel took the opportunity to jump up, and then come down on the normal type with a well-aimed Brick Break right to her head. Nicole snarled as she was left in a clearly uncomfortable position; her hind legs raised and frozen while her front side was lying on the floor. "Shit, man, no fair." She growled. "Well, you asked for it, miss." The Sneasel replied smugly.

Nicole suddenly snarled, and her tail (which as poking out of the ice) began to sway left and right like a bell. Once it chimed, the ice on her rear melted, and she regained mobility. The Sneasel's eyes widened. "Oh, shit…" He said, his ears dropping. Nicole put on a wicked smirk and rammed him with another Double-Edge. This time the Sneasel didn't get up again. He just laid there, knocked out. "Well, that was rough." Nicole panted out, sweat trickling down her fur.

"Hey, Nicole," I called. "That was a good battle." I said. She looked at me and smiled. "Yeah thanks. I came down here to do some training since you and Michael were sleeping." She stated, walking up to me. "Apparently, this is for training. I find it weird there's nobody here except that Sneasel guy." She said. "Come on, let's get you healed up at the First Aid room." I invited. She nodded, but before we could walk out through the glass doors, a jet of water impacted the wall, causing me to turn around.

"Hold it, darling! We have an appointment!" Shouted the Floatzel from across the battlefield. "That was your Water Gun?" I asked, astounded. Ronny was standing at least fifty feet away from the wall! How did he manage to increase the range of that attack? "Yes, honey. I had to get your attention. So are we doing this or not?" He asked, taking off his purple fedora and tossing it. It landed neatly on a bleacher. I had a feeling that this water type would be a tough opponent, judging by the range of his Water Gun and him, well, being a water type, which totally crippled my Flamethrower.

"Okay, let's do this." I said, gulping down a bunch of saliva and walking up to my spot across the floor. I couldn't have a wet mouth if I wanted to use fire attacks, even though it was improbable. Nicole sighed as she sat down on a bleacher waiting for the fight to commence. "Alright, ready?" Ronny asked as he crouched down. I mimicked him. "Ready." I said, and as I did, water began to emerge from the floor magically. The water kept coming out and engulfed Ronny. He took one step – just one – and he was launched forward at great speed covered in water, like a jet. The assault was too fast for me to evade, and I was met with the painful blow.

I stumbled back and coughed, water having made itself into my mouth somehow. Ronny gave a cocky smirk before he jumped back, creating distance between us. That'd been a harsh blow, but I could recover. I shook my head and snarled. Energy began to collect from my body to my mouth, and I opened wide to shoot Energy Ball. The water type gave a twirl and dissolved the green sphere with a powerful tail attack, whatever it had been. My eyes were wide as he gave a wide grin. "Darling, you need to do better to beat me." He taunted, licking his paw. "Oh, I'll show you better…" I muttered. Darkness engulfed me and I launched at the Floatzel rapidly, a speed given to me by the power of Faint Attack. Ronny could not evade, and I rammed him directly in the stomach. "Uff!" He hugged his belly.

This was an opening. I uncurled my tails and focused, the fur on the tips expanding until my tails were blades. I gave a twirl and slashed Ronny across the stomach with Wide Slash. This time he wailed, a petty cut now present on his skin. "Alright, honey, time to get serious." Ronny said as he ran his paw across the cut, taking it to his face and licking the blood off. My ears dropped. Oh great, a psycho!

The water type wasted no time in getting back to the battle though. Before I could even react, with the same paw he'd been licking, he struck me with a Brick Break to the back. My face met the ground and I was sure I felt one of my ribs crack. Oh well. I only needed five of them anyway.

The impact squeezed the air out of me, and although that may sound bad, it was good. Why? Because instead of air, what came out was a Flamethower. The flames doused Ronny's small feet and he yelped, dancing in place, trying to put out the fire. "Damn it, you just ruined my pedicure!" He complained. I managed to get a good twenty feet away from him while he put out the flames on his feet.

I began an assault of Energy Ball over and over again. Out of ten fired, only four hit my opponent, given that he was far away and good at dodging. He looked exhausted, yet he kept going. His moves were graceful and coordinated, much better than mine. He twirled to the side to evade my attacks, and skipped forward, gradually getting closer to me. He put his snout to the air and a blue wave emitted from it. When the wave banished, Ronny took one step and it was as if he was charged by batteries! With that incredible speed, he closed in on me. It was then that I realized that move had been Agility.

He positioned himself behind me, but before I could counter, I was met with a harsh slap to the face by his tail. "One!" He shouted. I received another slap, then another, then a fourth. "And…five!" Ronny shouted as his tails slapped me for the fifth time. This one knocked me back, and I crashed into a wall. I didn't feel like getting up.

And so, that meant I was the looser.

"Oh, I won? Wow! Honey, you need a serious power-up!" Ronny said as he walked over to me (swaying his hips as he did) and offered me his paw. I glared and reluctantly took it. He hoisted me up and brushed off the dirt in my fur with his paws. "Wha…what move was that?" I mumbled. "Oh the multi-hit one? That was Tail Slap, dear!" He replied with a smile. "Tail Slap? That was a strong move…" I muttered. There was a limp in my step as I walked over to Nicole.

"Let's go find Sasuka." I told her. She looked at me with a skeptical look. "Shouldn't you go get healed up? That Tail Slap must've fractured _at least_ a couple of bones." Nicole said. I rolled my eyes. "Oh c'mon, don't exaggerate." I growled.

"Wait, honey! Let me get you some medical help." Ronny offered. He walked up to us. When his eyes landed on Nicole, he smiled. "Oh, good, another newcomer!" He chirped, grabbing Nicole's paw. She sweat-dropped. "I'm Ronny, dear!" He said. "Eh, I'm Nicole." Nicole answered, perking an eyebrow. Ronny let go of her hand and grabbed me, which hurt. "Hey!" I protested. "Don't you 'hey' me, dear. I'm going to find Suigetsu so she can give some medicine. And you need fattening up; you're as light as paper!" Ronny said. I doubted I was that light, and I surely had no desire to increase weight. Agility was important in battles!

Ronny didn't let go of me. He grabbed his purple fedora from the bleacher and put it on before he motioned for Nicole to follow him. Really, how could this guy overpower me so easily? Just who did he think he was?

"Suigetsu, darling!" Ronny shouted as he burst into the First Aid room. Suigetsu was preparing some kind of liquid in a big pot when she saw him and sighed in exasperation. "What is it?" She growled. "You've got another patient!" He announced happily as he lowered me and put me on a bed. I laid down and tried to mute out his sissy voice. Alas, it was too high-pitched to ignore.

"You again?" Suigetsu chuckled as she walked up to me. "I see you got a beating from Ronny. Do not worry, very few have been able to defeat him." She said. My eyes went wide as I stared at the Floatzel. He giggled and waved his tails shyly. "That's right, honey. Undefeated! Oh well, I'll be leaving now, there's this Linoone that was giving me the eye earlier…" He giggled as he turned to leave. "Wait!" I called. He perked a brow and looked at me in confusion. "Yes?" He asked. "That move…Tail Slap; tell me about it." I said.

Ronny shut the door and grabbed a chair next to the bed. "Hey, where am I supposed to sit?" Nicole complained. "You have the floor, do you not?" Suigetsu said. Nicole mumbled a few curses and sat down on her hind legs.

"Well, honey, first of all, Tail Slap is a multi-hit attack. Second, there are only six pokémon capable of learning the attack, two of which are extinct. Or at least, I thought they were." He stated, scanning my body up and down. "Eh?" I mumbled. Those two are Vulpix and Ninetales…I thought they were extinct. You're the first one I've ever seen, honey." He said. "Yeah…I get that a lot." I said. "Anyway, back to what I was saying, Tail Slap can be mastered only by six species in the whole world. Of course, I am one of the six, and you are also part of the group. Tail Slap isn't easy to perform; it takes training and agility." Ronny explained. By now, a machine was hovering above me. "This is just an X-ray machine. Relax." Suigetsu instructed. There was no reason for me to be stressed anyway.

"So is that why you used Agility before Tail Slap?" I asked him. Ronny nodded and grinned. "Yes! Well it's not actually necessary, but it makes things easier. Tail Slap usually can only hit up to five times, but…" He trailed off, putting his paw to his lips in thought. "But what?" I asked. He looked at me, and then at my tails. "You have six of them…Say, Amber dear, would you like me to teach you Tail Slap?" Ronny suddenly asked. I thought about it for a minute. It really was a powerful move, and I really needed something new in my arsenal. My other attacks were getting old anyway, and they didn't seem to be improving in strength. I grinned and gave a firm nod. Ronny clapped cheerfully. "Wonderful!" He chirped.

"Now, now, Ronald," Suigetsu started. "Leave the Chosen One to rest before you drag her off to train. Do me a favor and fetch Miss Range for me, will you?" She said. Ronny sighed in exasperation. "Fine, fine, I will. Toodles, Amber dear!" He waved happily as he ran out of the room on all fours.

"Is he always so…so…" I couldn't find the right word. "So gay? Yeah. Ronny is a very good guy, it is just such a shame he does not like females. I know a lot of females here who would love to be with him. He has this natural charm…the only flaw is his voice." The fighting type stated, placing a small bowl full of red liquid in front of me. "Drink it." She said sternly. I obliged and dipped my tongue in. It tasted like spicy Cheri berries. "So what can you tell me about everyone else?" I asked her. "Everyone else? Like who?" She asked. "Like…C. Tell me about C." I told her. There was something about that Shaymin's eyes that had me curious. I'd only stared him in the eye maybe twice, and those irises were full of sorrow.

"C Hydrangea is a quiet guy. He came to the F.R.I injured a year ago. I was merely a Mienfoo back then when I met him on the streets. He was with his mother, and they'd come from Azalea Village looking for the F.R.I. Neither of us knew how to get here…until the Chief swopped down from the sky and snatched us up." She explained. I stayed silent as I listened to her story. "The Chief was apparently hunting. I was terrified, but C and his mother, however, were not. They actually shot the Chief right in the eye with their moves and he dropped us. The Chief was not angry, in fact, he was impressed…and that was how we were brought to the F.R.I. C quickly became an important authority here, being a legendary species and all. His mom, though, went back to her village in Sinnoh with the rest of the Shaymin." She said. "This Chief you speak of…is he that Charizard I saw earlier?" I asked. Suigetsu nodded. "Yes. The Chief is quite a powerful Charizard. His entire body is scarred, but I do not know why." She explained.

"The Chief and C are close comrades. I heard they train together atop Mt. Mortar every week, fighting off the many Magmortar that live there." She said. "There's something about C that I can't put my paws on. First off, his eyes. Why are they like that?" I asked her. "His eyes are blood red, yes. They are unusual…almost human…" She trailed off. Her sentence rang in my head.

_They are unusual…almost human… _It made me think. What if...?

"Yeah, I'm here, what is it Shao-shao?" Canella said as she burst through the door, interrupting my thoughts. She was accompanied by Michael and Sasuka, who was sucking on a lollipop. Finally, at least now I wouldn't have to go look for her. She laid down on the floor next to my bed and continued to enjoy her lollipop. Michael jumped up to a bed and grabbed a book that had been placed there. He flipped it open on a random page and began reading.

"I thought I made it clear I hate that nickname." Suigetsu snarled. Canella rolled her eyes and waved her hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, so why do you need me?" She asked. "Since the Chief seems to like you, could you please do me the favor of getting him to come here?" Suigetsu asked. She took away the bowl (which I'd emptied) and placed it back in a drawer. "Why didn't you just ask the Gaylord to do it?" Canella scoffed. Suigetsu seemed annoyed at the name Canella used for Ronny. "You know the Chief doesn't like Ronald. Now, please do me the favor. Use your natural charm…" Suigetsu said, scoffing at the last word. "Fine, I will." Canella said, rolling her eyes before she folded her arms and hopped away.

I rested my head on the pillow. "Sasuka, where have you been?" I asked. Sasuka dropped her lollipop and looked at me with lazy eyes. "The nice Charizard took me out for a walk around the city. He bought me a bag of candy and got me a TM. He said I'm special, but I don't know what he meant." She explained. Could he have been referring to her odd coloring? What did he see in the Absol that I couldn't? I kept my thoughts to myself, however, and just smiled down at her. "A TM? What's that?" Nicole asked. "They are just the latest thing. They are special machines that allow a pokémon to instantly learn a move." Suigetsu stated. She was changing the sheets of a bed in the corner. I scoffed. "The latest thing, huh? Please! I had a bag full of those back in the day." I chuckled. So the technical machines were still around; impressive.

"Back in the day, you say. I see we are alike." A familiar, deep voice said. It made me jump. Suigetsu's eyes widened as she looked in the direction of the door. "Chief! Please excuse this mess." She said, bowing her head in respect. "Chief…?" I turned around on my bed slowly to meet the beautiful scarlet irises of the large reptilian, Charizard. Those eyes looked so familiar, yet so new to me… "Got him." Canella mumbled as she entered the room, barely managing to avoid touching the huge fire type as she slipped into the room.

The Charizard and I only stared at each other. I would not show any weakness or intimidation, although I was nervous. "I see." He mumbled with a confident smirk on his face. "Welcome to the F.R.I, Chosen One. My name is Scar. Tell me your name." He demanded. His voice sounded so familiar…and his eyes…why? I had never met him before in my life! …Right?

"I'm Amber Salvador, sir." I said. A flash of shock ran across his eyes, but it was quickly gone as he extended his hand toward me. I reached for it with my paw and we shook. His hand felt so rough and warm. His claws were damaged, but very sharp, so I avoided them. "Your voice sounds familiar. Have we met before?" He asked, raising his claws to his nose and sniffing them. "I don't think so." I replied. "Your scent…" He mumbled. "Never mind." He quickly said.

"Hey, mister Scar! Thanks for the TM earlier!" Sasuka chirped. Scar looked down at her. "No problem, Miss Misfortune. Make sure to use it wisely." He said. "I will!" She replied. "Hey, you," Nicole called. "I exist!" She protested as she sat up and walked to him. She was diminutive compared to him. Scar let out a low growl. He leaned down and shook paws with Nicole. "Nicole Katty, at your service." She said with a grin. He nodded and looked over at Michael. Michael noticed he was being stared at and looked at Scar. "No, no, keep reading, don't mind me." Scar said, waving his hand dismissively. Michael went back to his book.

"Suigetsu, I will be taking the Chosen One with me. I want no company." Scar demanded sternly. Suigetsu nodded. "Yes, Chief." She said. "Come, Salvador." Scar said. It was more of an order than an offer. Not being one to object, I hopped off the bed. He leaned down until his neck almost touched the floor. I understood and climbed onto his back. Once I was securely on, he stood back up.

The Charizard walked over to the large window and pressed a button next to it. The window slid open and I could see the dark, moist walls of the cavern. The last thing I saw was the shocked expression on my friends' faces as Scar climbed out the window and took me away from the building.

Once outside, Scar finally spread his wings. I was very impressed; spread, they were at least eight feet wide, each. I didn't question his odd choice to prepare for flight when we were _underground. _"How long can you hold your breath?" He asked me. "For about thirty seconds." I replied. "Why?" I asked. I looked at the water beyond us. No way was he planning to go underwater! Was he?

"It is the only way out." Scar said as he approached the seawater. "W-what?" Oh great, another psycho. "Shroud us in a Safeguard. Surely, you can do that, right?" He asked. "Of course I can!" Who did he take me for? I was the freaking Chosen One; of course I could use a petty Safeguard! I concentrated hard and a soothing energy spread through my body. The energy then left my body and expanded into a large, pink barrier around the Charizard and I. "Very good." He commented. Without another word, the flying type took into the air and dove down into the sea.

The Safeguard was keeping the water from getting to us. It was as if being inside a bubble. Scar flapped his wings slowly, _flying underwater. _"Something tells me you've done this before, sir." I commented. "Indeed, I have. My comrade, C, helps me with his own move." He chuckled. I saw the confused stares of many water pokémon like Krabby as we swam/flew by. The area was still dark, so I guessed we had not yet left the undersea cavern.

After a few more seconds, light poured down into the sea. Scar picked up the pace and gave one mighty flap toward the surface. With that single movement, we were out of the water and into the sky. Higher and higher he flew, until I could feel the intense rays of the sun. The feeling was amazing. Scar must've felt it too, because he kept hovering without descending.

The sun was the ultimate source of power for fire type pokémon. It was the one thing that eternally burned, and fueled us with its immense energy. It felt like taking a massage. Scar exhaled, and a large column of fire came from his muzzle. "Oops, slipped." He said. "Hope I didn't kill anything." He chuckled. "If we go down we might be lucky and find some fried Pidgey." I joked. He chuckled again. I didn't know why, but I felt comfortable around him, relaxed. But how could this be possible, if we'd just met?

Just who _was _this Charizard?

Scar decided we'd basked enough and swooped down rapidly, which made me grasp onto his neck for dear life. We were leveled with the sea, and with one mighty flap, he kicked up winds that created a massive wave. The wave crashed onto the shore, soaking everything within a hundred feet. Finally, Scar's feet touched the ground.

I felt a bit nauseous, but otherwise satisfied with the incredible ride. I slid off Scar's back and felt the soft and humid sand under my paws. "Come on, I want to show you around the city." Scar offered. I nodded and we began to walk away from the shore and into the dirty streets. The air was covered in so much smog the sun's rays could not penetrate through the darkness. While I was troubled by this, Scar looked unfazed, as if used to it.

There were a lot of hovercrafts cruising around the city of all shapes and colors. The sidewalk we were walking on ended at a dead-end, along with the street. A hovercraft on the street didn't stop moving though, and just kept going toward the wall. I lowered my ears and tried to shield them from the rough noise that would be the impact, but it never came. Instead, the hovercraft just switched and ran up the wall and onto the other side. "Wow," I muttered. "That was a close one." I sighed.

"This city might seem modern to you." Scar spoke as he guided me past a dark alley. "But it is actually behind on technology." He said. My jaw dropped. "How is that possible? They have flying cars!" I argued. "Cities in other regions are far more advanced, though. I heard Kanto's Saffron City can create cyborgs." Scar explained. We were now at the other side, and as we walked along the sidewalk we received glares from bystanders. I growled at them but never made eye contact.

"Chief, why have you brought me out here?" I asked, looking up at him. Scar stopped moving entirely. "Earlier you said that we were alike. What did you mean?" I asked him. The question had been gnawing at me for a while. Scar's eyes were unreadable. "Come." He said simply as he hoisted me up onto his back. He spread his wings and took into the air, out speeding any and all hovercrafts. He was going very fast until we reached the beach, where he let me down. He slumped down on the sand, his tail lying on the ground and incinerating a shell. I sat down on my hind legs next to him, awaiting an answer.

"We are alike…because I can tell you were human once." Scar said calmly. Seriously? Was I so easy to read? And did that mean that Scar was also a reborn? I had to pry. "I was." I said. He heaved a heavy sigh. "I thought so. I used to be human, too." He admitted. Just as I had suspected; he was no ordinary Charizard. That still didn't explain why I felt he was a familiar.

There was an awkward silence. "So…how did you mess up?" He asked. "Eh, got hit by a Hyper Beam shielding my pokémon. What about you?" I asked. "I drowned at the Dragon's Den. I know, pretty lame." He said with a shrug. "I'm sure you had your reasons. Apparently every reborn has a heroic back-story." I said. "Come to think of it, you're right." He muttered.

I was about to say something, but then I noticed a dense fog suddenly cover the area. The sun became obscured, and I could feel my fire power decrease. I was quickly on my feet. I couldn't see anything beyond the beach; the fog had thickened. I could hear faint thunder. Wind began to blow harshly, kicking up sand right at my eyes. "What's happening?" I shouted. I could hear Scar snarl. "Damn," He growled. "It's happening again."

I was confused and angry at the same time. Why did the weather have to change now? It was so sudden. "What do you mean again?" I shouted. Light rain was starting to pour down. Scar crouched and spread his wings, shielding me from the raindrops with them. "This happens whenever anyone enters the beach. I shouldn't have brought us here." He said, guilt in his eyes. "We need to find shelter." I told him. "I agree." He said. He grabbed me by the waist and flapped his wings, blowing away sand and taking to the air. I wriggled around in his grasp, but he said it was better this way so I wouldn't get wet.

Scar flew at a low level. The wind was much stronger now and the rain was falling harder. The fog was too thick for us to see anything, so Scar just kept flying straight. The storm was getting harsher, but after a few minutes, we hid under a dock.

"So, what now, Chief Scar?" I asked with a sigh. "Should we wait for the storm to end?" I looked at him. He had his tail resting on his lap, and he was staring at the flames intently. "No. As long as we're here, the storm won't blow over." He stated. "Okay, what are you talking about?" He looked at me with cold eyes. "I guess I can't blame you for not knowing. You arrived barely yesterday, after all." He mumbled. He began to draw circles with his claws on the sand. I sighed in exasperation. Couldn't I receive a simple answer?

"Tell me...when you were human did you ever see the famous lighthouse of Olivine?" He asked. His fiery tail provided light, the rest of his body shrouded by darkness. I gave a firm nod. "Yes. I came here when it was Olivine City…to compete against the Gym Leader." I replied. "Oh, so you met Jasmine. Good, that means less explaining. Well, you see, a long time ago, the mighty lighthouse…sunk." He said. My eyes widened. "Sunk? How is that even possible?" I shouted. He closed his eyes in thought. "Yes, it sunk. They call it the 'Sunken Beacon'." He stated.

"When the Gym Leader hunt began, Olivine City's Jasmine took into hiding. After a couple of years, her fellow Johto Gym Leaders had all perished, killed. They say she was so depressed, that she went up to the lighthouse and caused an Earthquake with her pokémon. The earthquake shook the ground so much the erosion caused the ground beneath the lighthouse to give. She drowned herself and the lighthouse." Scar explained. Shivers ran down my spine. The timid and lovely Jasmine…killed herself? She took down an entire building…to take her own life. It was almost unbelievable, but I understood the kind of pain she must've gone through after losing loved ones. I would ask Morty about Jasmine the next time I saw him.

"What does that have to do with the storm?" I asked, looking out beyond the dock where the rain was pounding the ground. "Well, they say the lighthouse is haunted. Somewhere under these waters, the lighthouse remains nearly intact, and every time anyone steps into the beach, a storm begins. They say it's the 'curse of the iron maiden'." The Chief said. "That's ridiculous." I mumbled, but I said no more as I remembered Calypso's curse. It was possible.

No more words were spoken. We just sat there in silence staring into the rain. Scar offered me his tail when I got cold, and I laid down next to it. "So what do we do?" I asked. "Somebody will come for us. Oh, why did I leave my teleporter at home? I'm so stupid!" The Chief complained, smacking his forehead. "Forgive me for my slip-up, Chosen One." He said. "Don't sweat it, mistakes are human." I said. The Chief chuckled. "I guess they are…" He muttered. Although we looked like pokémon, we were human on the inside.

Seconds turned into minutes. Minutes turned into hours, and the storm was still strong. Bored out of my mind, I began to draw on the sand with my paws. The Chief had fallen asleep. I was hoping someone would realize we were taking too long and come look for us.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of loud thunder. I lazily opened my eyes to see that it was still storming. Droplets of water were starting to seep in through cracks in the wooden dock.

"Chief," I called lowly. He kept snoring, smoke coming from his nostrils. "Chief Scar!" I called a little louder. He groaned but didn't wake. I contemplated using a Flamethrower. Maybe it would work. I breathed in a little of the flames on his tail and unleashed a weak Flamethrower right at his face. The Chief jolted up with wide eyes. "Don't go!" He shouted. He blinked a few times before he realized he wasn't dreaming. "Oh, it's just you." He mumbled as he stretched his arms. "Just as I thought; the storm is still strong." He said lazily. "We need to get out of here." I told him. He gave me a lazy stare. I noticed then that he had a faint scar above his left eye; a detail I'd overlooked.

"All right," Scar said after a yawn. "Let's get going. Put up your Safeguard." He ordered. I nodded and expanded the pink barrier around me. Scar picked me up into his arms and the barrier expanded to cover him, too. With one flap, we flew out of the dock and into the storm. Although the rain was deflected by the Safeguard, I could feel the tug of the wind. Scar was having trouble flying.

The fog was still thick. The wind kept assaulting. Scar kept slowing down gradually, being pushed back. I had to hold on firmly to his arms to keep from being blown away. But alas, the wind was too strong, and Scar and I were blown back. My barrier crumpled to pieces as we hit the seawater. It was a painful impact.

I buried my paws in the sand to stay on my feet. The waves barely touched my stomach, but the rain was drenching me (and it hurt). "Chief…we need to…Chief?" I turned around to realize Scar was unconscious. His tail was submerged in the water and I gasped. I ran over there and bit down on his tail, using all my strength to haul it out. It was heavy and slippery but my jaws were strong. The flame on his tail was about to extinguish. I put up another Safeguard to keep the fire from dying. The fire was a Charizard's lifeline. If it went out…Scar would die.

The hurricane was harsh. The wind kept threatening to fling me out into the sea. The sand got in my eyes and fur. The seawater brushed my paws. My heart was beating fast and I was thinking of a way to survive. I looked up and heard thunder. My eyes went wide, and before I could react, a flash of yellow came down from the sky right toward me.

I truly believed in the curse of the iron maiden when the bolt of lightning pierced my barrier, and the world went black.

* * *

"_I don't want to lose you." He said as he held on firmly to my arm, trying to keep me from leaving._

"_Don't be ridiculous. I have to do this." I replied bitterly, slapping away his hand. His scarlet eyes were a mix of hurt and anger. I turned my back on him and walked towards the door, taking out a pokeball and summoning my Pidgeot._

"_Sophia, please!" He begged. I didn't look back. _

"_I'm sorry. Goodbye." I said as I climbed onto my pokémon and flew away from the Indigo Plateau, leaving behind the man I loved, and flying toward my doom, the Cerulean Cave. _

* * *

**Cliffhanger much? I dunno, I guess I messed it up.**

**That last part is a reference to the soon-to-be rewritten fic, The Tales of the Reborn. I'm going to take it down and completly rewrite Amber's story (the first part) to include Unova and well, improve the storyline. Whoever has me on Author Alert will know when I re-publish TR. Those who don't, don't worry, I'll let you know via Author's Note anway. **

**First off, I want to talk about Ronny. I have nothing against homosexuals and I know not all of them act like…well, like Ronny. In fact, my manliest friend is gay o.o' When he told me I was like "NO FREAKING WAY!" xD I based the Floatzel character off of the boyfriend he got…yeah he's a real sissy, but a comic-relief.**

**Second, yay for the return of Canella! HeartGold12, you can stop spamming now. Don't worry, this won't be her only chapter. She'll be here for at least…five chapters? I'm not sure but I like her, so you can expect more Lopunny action. Originally I was going to make the chief of the FRI the Typhlosion you mentioned but…I decided against it. It's MY fic after all.**

**I just HAD to add Jasmine in the story. She's my third favorite Gym Leader next to Brock and Morty (Morty being the first). I mean, she's so timid and modest…yet she raises big bad Steel types! THAT'S hardcore! I'm giving her a tragic end though, and you'll learn more about her in the next chapter.**

**Also, I just noticed I forgot to put in the POVs of Michael and Nicole. I guess I didn't want to fit them in. Amber hasn't had a full POV since chapter 8 (which is coincidentally ten chapters before this one)! **

**Brandon: I'm so sorry for the lack of C action in this chapter! I wanted to give him some scenes…but I honestly couldn't fit him in! Oh gosh, I was focusing so much on the new (possibly mayor) character, Scar, that I seriously couldn't add C…but I hope you are satisfied with what little info on him I included here.**

**Summary now!**

**Name: Canella Range**

**Species: Lopunny**

**Current level: 45**

**Nature: Adamant**

**Moves: Thunder Punch, Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Jump Kick, Dig, Quick Attack, Dizzy Punch**

**Ages: 4 years old**

**Preferred food: Sour**

**OC Owner: HeartGold12**

**Also, I'll be making a poll on my profile! Go there and vote!**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


	20. Seven Days

**The Order of Arceus**

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Seven Days**

I was in so much pain. I couldn't move. I could not hear the sound of the harsh rain or roaring thunder. Naturally, I thought I was dead. There was something gnawing at the back of my mind. I heard a voice, a voice I'd almost forgotten.

"_You must not die! I won't allow it! Live! Live, I say!"_

My nervous system started to work again as I felt moist floor under me. Everything was warm and humid. I knew I wasn't dead, to my relief. I tried moving, but found out I couldn't. My body was going through such overwhelming agony I mentally scoffed at the thought of lifting a single paw.

"Who would've thought…she was so easy to find…" An unfamiliar female voice said. Well, my hearing was working well, too. The voice was deep and stern. I heard the sizzling of a bonfire. Immediately, my body begged for the flames. Whoever was there had to help me to them. "P-please…" It was too hard to even speak. "The fire…put me…in t…the fire…" I muttered. I felt on the verge of death.

Whoever was there wasted no time in clemently picking me up. She had soft fur on her arms, and I could also feel claws. It didn't hurt to be moved. She set me down into the flames, and I basked in the wonderful element. I inhaled and exhaled deeply. My nostrils were clearing up; I could smell the sweet scent of smoke. I daringly began to open my eyes, but my vision was blurry. For a few seconds I just saw the dancing red and yellow. But after inhaling so much fire, my vision cleared. I could see I was inside a moist cavern. It was dark, but I seemed to be at the entrance.

"Finally, she's waking up…" The same female muttered. I scanned with my eyes, not moving my head, only to stare at the blue iris of a canine pokémon. It was a Zoroark; but she looked different than the ones I got to know in the past. Her red mane had bangs that fell over her left eye, covering it completely. Two of her fangs were too long and stuck out of her mouth. Her eyes were angled and full of ferocity.

I'd regained enough energy to speak. "Who are you?" I inquired. The Zoroark gave me an amused smirk. "My name is…" She began, but paused, as if pondering on her answer. Just like that, I deemed her suspicious. "…unimportant. Just call me Zoroark." She finally replied with a satisfied tone. I noticed she had a heavy French accent.

"Why am I here?" I asked lowly. Zoroark gave me a bored look. "You were struck by lightning and I found your bodies. I brought you two here." She stated. So, where was Scar? She claimed to have brought him, but where was he? "Where is the Charizard?" I asked. Zoroark pointed behind me. I was too tired to even roll around to check, so instead I focused my hearing until I could hear his soft breathing. I sighed.

"I know who you are." Zoroark suddenly said. She was staring at me broodingly. I clenched my jaw. "You are the infamous Chosen One, or am I mistaken?" She inquired. I wasn't sure on sharing the information; she looked awfully suspicious. However, she had saved me from dying in the rain, so the least I could do was give an honest answer…or maybe not. "Why does it interest you?" I asked. Zoroark seemed annoyed at that. She lifted her arm and pointed beyond me. "Look." She snarled. This time I had to roll to my other side to look. Scar was lying near me, still unconscious and breathing softly. But beyond him was a large door. It was immense, taking up all of the space, and it seemed to be made out of either stone or cement. There were ancient markings on the doors and a big lock between them. Above the lock was a hole in an oval shape, as if something was meant to be placed there.

"It is the gate to the ancient building, the Sunken Beacon, as the Stahlkraft folk call it." Zoroark explained. My eyes widened. Hadn't Scar told me just yesterday that the lighthouse had sunken?

"_Well, they say the lighthouse is haunted. Somewhere under these waters, the lighthouse remains nearly intact…" _The words rung in my head…was it really true? Like the Bell Tower, had the lighthouse also survived?

Zoroark sighed. "You may trust me…I too am a…rebel." She forced out. A smile crept onto her face, but I couldn't tell if it was sincere or a mere façade. Nonetheless, I smiled back. "So why have you brought me to the entrance of the lighthouse?" I asked. "As you can see, the gates are sealed shut. However, I've heard that there is one pokémon able to open it with a sacred item. I have been trying to enter, but it seems I am…not worthy." Zoroark said. "They say a powerful item lies hidden inside." She continued. I automatically guessed. The only items everyone coveted were the Arceus Plates. The chance was high that the item Zoroark spoke of was one of the Arceus Plates.

That automatically involved me. With or without this Zoroark, I had to infiltrate the ancient lighthouse. But how? It was entirely underwater! There had to be a way. I had to get back to the F.R.I with Chief Scar.

"I can open the gates." I said. I sounded confident, but I was unsure if I had the 'sacred item' required. Zoroark gave a satisfied smirk. "You can? That would be wonderful!" She said. "Let us meet back here a week from now. Come alone." Zoroark said. "No," I intervened. "If I assist you, I will be with my partners. Either that, or we have no deal." I said. Zoroark had an amused look on her face. "Very well. One week from now, bring your allies to this cavern. Bring the sacred item. I will take care of the rest. Together, we will uncover the secrets of the Sunken Beacon!" Zoroark said before she broke into throaty laughter.

"How do I come back here and how do I leave?" I asked, standing up. "I have a teleporter, so I will take care of your exit. As for your return; you must look for an undersea cavern that gives entrance to this one. It is deep under the docks, but easy to find." Zoroark replied. She rummaged around a bag she kept between her legs. From it she pulled out a little contraption similar to a radio without buttons. She placed it on the ground. "Touch the surface and both of you will be teleported. Remember our agreement." Zoroark said. Very suddenly, her right claw flew to her eye and she growled in pain. I could've sworn I saw a glimmer coming from her eye. "Leave now!" She demanded.

Groaning, I touched the device and felt myself being lifted into the air, as if dissolving.

We were teleported right into the undersea cavern inside which was the F.R.I building. Scar was still asleep, so I tried to drag him toward the entrance, but the dragon was too heavy. Instead, I left him there and sped past the glass doors. A Tyranitar and Machamp were conversing in the lobby and I ran up to them. I really hoped they could speak English. "The Chief is knocked out, could you get him to the First Aid room?" I asked them. "Sure thing, miss. _Flüge_, help me with the Chief. " The Machamp said, looking at the dark type. He gave the Tyranitar a pat on the back and the two went outside.

In just a minute, the duo carried Scar back into the building and straight to the First Aid room. I followed. The pokémon placed the chief on a bed and flashed me a smile before returning to whatever they had been doing.

"Oh, dear!" I heard Suigetsu's accented voice from the hallway. She burst into the room with a scowl on her face. "Chosen One, where have you been?" She snarled. "We got caught up in a storm." I replied, sitting down on my hind legs. "Chief! What is wrong with him?" The Mienshao asked. "He's just fainted." I replied. I was worried about Scar's health; after he had taken so much rain, would he be okay? I had no idea why he concerned me so much. I guessed it was normal behavior…

Suigetsu sighed. "You have been assigned a room with your friends. Ask the secretary to guide you there." She said. I nodded. "Let me know if the Chief recovers." I said as I stood up and walked out of the room.

* * *

_**Michael**_

Seeing Amber walk into our room was a huge relief. Sasuka tackled Amber happily, and we spent a good five minutes trying to get her off. Nicole had thought Amber was dead. Was she always such a pessimist? I knew Amber was too strong (and stubborn) to die so randomly.

The room we had received had purple walls and a carpeted floor of a lighter shade. There were four beds, each with different colored sheets that represented our typing. Night fell, and before long, Nicole and Sasuka were snoring on their beds.

"Michael," Amber called as she hopped onto her bed with red sheets. "Yes?" I said, looking up. "Do you have my things?" She asked. I got my bag from the floor and opened it. "Yeah, right here." I said as I pulled out an Elixir that belonged to her and the Rainbow Wing. I was carrying around everyone's things, but thankfully, they weren't much. The bag was heavy because of the two books and the Power Bracer I had in there.

Amber jumped to my bed, grabbed her things with her tails, and jumped back to her own bed. She spent some time admiring the beautiful feather. I could feel the power radiating from it. But, of course it was powerful; it came directly from a legendary pokémon. "I need to tell you something." Amber suddenly stated. I perked an eyebrow. "Go ahead." I said.

"I know the location of a Plate, right here in Stahlkraft." She said. My eyes widened. "Then we should go get it!" I said. "It's not that easy," Amber started, caressing the feather. "The place is underwater." She finished. "Then how the heck did you find it if you can't even reach it?" I asked, perking an eyebrow. The fire type hesitated. For a minute, I thought she wouldn't answer me. "I met a pokémon who knew of it. One week from now, we are supposed to meet in front of huge gates that supposedly lead into the lighthouse." Amber stated. My eyes widened. Where had I heard about that landmark before? Oh! It was in my book!

I pulled out the old, beat up book from my bag and flipped to the index page. After finding what I was looking for, I flipped to pages in the center, where the subject I needed was. "Michael, what are you doing?" Amber asked. I kept my focus on the page, which was titled 'The Lighthouse: Jasmine's Tomb'. "Come here, this book has some information about that lighthouse thing you were talking about." I didn't know what it was. I did know, however, that lighthouses _had_ been used in ancient times to guide ships at sea during the night. Aside from that, I knew nothing. Amber hopped onto my bed and sat down next to me where she could read with me. Even so, I read the page out loud.

"_The month was May and the year was 2035. I was living in a house just near the gates of the city with my pokémon and Jasmine. No, do not get the wrong idea. We were living together for mere economic benefits, and well, we had no other friends in the area. Jasmine was a very nice woman, kind and timid, but she was open and expressive when at home. Her fiancée Volkner from Sinnoh had been electrocuted to death, and ever since, Jasmine had become greatly depressed. I comforted her and tried to make her laugh, but the best I could get from her was a small grin._

_One day, Jasmine told me she felt hollow. Despite being a mystical man, I didn't understand her. She had scowled at me that day, the first time in years, and left our home to roam the area where her Gym once was. That space was now occupied by a factory. I felt so sorry for my friend, but there was nothing I could do._

_Just a few days later, Jasmine came up to me. She had a huge smile on her face, and I would have been glad, if only her smile hadn't looked so…insane. She continued to smile as she said: 'I know how to be happy! The answer is so simple!' At first, I thought it was a sane solution. Jasmine then pulled out something from her bag. It was a stone tablet colored silver with Unown writings around its borders. She held it up with both hands, continuing to smile. 'I got an invitation! It's for both of us!' She said. I was bewildered; how had she acquired such an item, an Arceus Plate? 'From who and to where?' I asked her cautiously. The woman kept smiling as she placed a hand on my shoulder. 'The Divine Mother did. She wants us to come with her to Heaven!' Jasmine said._

_I had come to the saddening conclusion that my friend had indeed lost her mind. I grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, but she still gave me a happy stare, although her smile was gone. 'We don't have much time. We can end our suffering; let's go!' Jasmine invited. I slapped her as hard as I could across the face, something I had never done to any woman. But it was not to hurt her, but to get her to snap out of it. Jasmine fell to the floor and dropped the tablet. As soon as she did, she looked up at me, rubbing her cheek, and had a blank expression on her face. Jasmine stood up, picked up the Plate again, and headed toward the door. _

'_I thought you wanted to be happy. Don't you want to see Morty again?' She asked, taking a last glance. As tempting as the idea of suicide sounded, I could not accept. But I also found myself pondering on whether to let Jasmine die alone or not. My deceased best friend had told me death was supposed to be natural. I had to respect his beliefs. 'I do and I will, but not yet. Don't go through with this, Jasmine. You have so much to live for!' I begged her. But the brunette turned to walk out the door. 'I will tell the Divine Mother you rejected her offer. This is the last time you will see me, Eusine.' Those were the last words she ever spoke to me._

_A few days had gone by since my fight with the ex-Gym Leader. I thought that Jasmine had simply dismissed her plans, since I had seen her around the city a few times since our argument. When I came back home to greet my two Gengar, one older than the other, I was shocked to see a white box on top of the coffee table. My oldest Gengar brought it up to me and I held it in my arms. A note was on the top. I took the lid off the table as I unfolded the piece of paper, wondering who had left it there. The note was written in cursive silver letters, and I recognized it as Jasmine's hand-writing. The letter read:_

_-It pains me to leave you so suddenly. You helped me get over the deaths of my great friends, but no more…I cannot mourn my beloved Volkner anymore. Thank you for keeping me alive these last ten years, but I must go. The Divine Mother wants me at her side in paradise. I want to see all of them again. And so, I am going to drown myself. –_

_I was panicking as I read, pulling out the contents of the box. Inside were six pokeballs, each identified by labels. According to them, inside lied Metagross, Empoleon, Skarmory, Magnezone, Klinklang, and Amphy the Ampharos. I kept reading the letter._

_-I have one last thing to ask of you. Take care of my pokémon until their time comes…they are aging, so you won't have to worry about them after a couple of years. Care for them and comfort them the same way you did with Morty's ghosts. Tell them I love them. In the box, you won't find my Steelix…that is because I have taken her with me. She accepted to join me…so I won't die alone. I also left you all of my remaining money and jewelry, as I won't need them. Use the money and see if you can buy your freedom of StahlKraft from the governor. I'm so sorry I tried to drag you down with me. –_

_Indeed, inside the white box there were hundreds of bills under expensive, gold and silver jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, everything Jasmine had ever worn. My grip tightened on the round orange hair pins I found inside; the ones she used to wear during her teen age. I got up and opened the door, but only stopped to keep reading._

_-Please, don't go look for me. By the time you read this, I will already be preparing at the place where I used to look out into the ocean, which has become so polluted it disgusts me. Let me be. Stay at home and hold on to something, protect all valuables and the pokémon. When I finally reach the Divine Mother, I will make sure to tell Morty you send your regards. I'm sure he'll be happy. I'll be happy up there, too. I will be waiting for your arrival on the other side, take as long as you wish, my friend._

_Farewell, Eusine._

_~Jasmine Cuori_

_Just as I finished the letter, the ground began to shake. It was an earthquake, but it felt weak, so I was away from the epicenter. The earth was still rumbling as I ran outside, only to stare in horror as the mighty lighthouse shook violently; it was the epicenter. I understood now where Jasmine had meant. She was at the lighthouse, and I was too far away to save her. The earthquake got stronger and stronger; so much that houses near the docks were crumbling. The erosion caused the ground beneath the lighthouse to give, and the citizens screamed as, slowly, the hill crumbled. The lighthouse came down with it, a foul screech echoing as it slid along with the dirt and destroyed the harbor. The heavy tower began to rapidly sink into the sea. I was immovable as it was almost completely submerged. Then, right before everything was over, I saw a flash of silver light radiate from the beacon, a twinkle I was sure nobody else had seen. After that, the famous landmark was gone; devoured by the sea._

_The catastrophe had taken merely two minutes. While the city was in chaos, I retreated into my home and climbed onto bed, feeling an ache in my heart as the last human friend I had in this world was gone. _

_And so, the timid and intelligent woman known as Jasmine Cuori had surrendered. At least she would always keep the honor of being the final of the Gym Leaders to go down. And she wasn't killed by Biomegas like the others; no, she had gone directly to the Divine Mother, to Mew, and denied the evil dictator the pleasure of eliminating her. Poor Jasmine had been driven insane by depression. This was all because of Biomegas, our ruler. Oh, I knew that one day, I would be there to see him die. It was a great desire, one that I would take to my grave. I would watch him die, watch as my friends got their vengeance."_

The chapter ended there. Amber had an unfathomable look in her eyes. She said nothing as she hopped off my bed and hid under the covers of her own. I was worried about her for a while before I realized she was asleep, snoring lightly.

I didn't know what to think of what I'd just read. It was about people I had never known, but the story was simply amazing. And it was true.

I spent a few hours navigating the pages, trying to find more information about that Jasmine woman that enthralled me so. I found some and read, but eventually, I succumbed to sleep.

I was walking along the beach, no sign of life in sight. The sun was beginning to set. My paw prints were fading into the sand mysteriously. I had no idea where I was going, or why I was walking in the first place, but I couldn't stop moving.

All around me, a faint noise was being carried in the wind. It sounded like a lullaby in another language, sung by a woman's poignant voice. At first, it was very faint, as if far away, but as I kept walking forward, the voice got louder until I could make out the words.

"_Stay with me, my blue-eyed knight." _The voice chanted. I bit my lip, turning my head left and right, but saw no one. "_I'll come to thee tonight." _The singer went on. "_I said goodbye to my dear friend._" The sun had finished setting. The sky was getting dark rapidly. "_For today, my life comes to an end." _The wind was rustling the leaves of the palm trees. My body was not obeying my wishes; I just kept walking forward, as if on autopilot. "_They call me the iron maiden,_" The tone of the voice was extremely sad now. "_But by the Plate I was aided. This title…is of another. Come claim it, Divine Mother." _The voice was getting closer now. I could see a faint sparkle far away, right in my direction. I didn't know what it was, but I hoped it was something good. "_I am locked in this damned prison. Come free my soul, being of crimson. Let me see your bright eyes," _I was so close, I could make out a human body walking toward me. "_Or your beloved will all die." _

I was standing five feet away from a woman cloaked in silver light. She was very beautiful, unlike any human woman I'd ever seen. Her skin was pale and flawless, her figure was thin and curved. Her light brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, ending with curly tips. Long bangs covered her forehead neatly. Her grey eyes were wide and vivid, her lips were small and soft pink. She wore elegant silver jewelry, a necklace with a sapphire pendant, earrings with diamonds, and a ring with a Steel Gem incrusted into it on her left hand. She wore a flowing, pure white dress that almost sparkled. She looked like a perfect being, yet she was barefoot.

Her face was blank of any emotion as she stared down at my small body. I had no idea what to think of the situation. Just who as she, and what did she want? Had she been the one singing? I felt a lump in my throat. The angelic woman extended her hand, as if to take mine, even though I was clearly many feet shorter than her.

"_Bring to me the being of crimson._" She sang melodically. My eyes widened. I still couldn't speak. "_She will free me of my prison." _She continued. Red sparkle began to gather into her hand out of nowhere. "_But trust not the being of illusion,_" her tone was grim now, but still melodic. "_For she will force your submission." _The red sparkle in her hand then took the shape of a pokémon with large wings, long neck and tail. "_In captivity is the avian of silver," _she sang as the model on her hand began to flap its wings of sparkle. "_The eye of Zero One you must sliver," _her tone began to rise. "_With its remains, the locks will break," _the dust in her hand then took the shape of a lock being opened. "_And his prison the guardian will escape._" The red dust was then crushed when she closed her fist.

The woman looked down at me and we locked eyes. Her grey orbs were hollow of all emotion but one; hope. She knelt down to my eye level. A placed her smooth and cold hand on my head. I could only stare. "_Do as I say," _she started. "_If the world is to be saved." _She never removed her hand from my head. I tried to reach for it, but my arms weren't working. "Go underwater and retrieve my treasure. It's yours to take. I'll be waiting!" The woman cheerfully said in a normal tone, which startled me so much I fell back.

The woman smiled kindly and her body began to fade. I finally got control over my body once again and sprung up to grab her dissolving hand, trying to keep her there to ask her who she was. But when I reached up, her hand dissolved in mine. The woman was reduced to silver dust, which was carried away in the wind and toward the full moon. I was wide-eyed as I realized she had left something behind. Lying on the whitish sand was a thin silver chain that shimmered brightly. I picked it up gently and felt it, checking if it was real. The chain necklace was light and thin, cold against my skin. I looked around, but concluded the mysterious woman would not return. I took off my scarf and replaced it with the chain. It looked very pretty, but feminine, hence I took it off.

I turned around and began walking back to wherever I'd come from. I pondered on what the woman had said, what it had meant. One thing was sure; I had to tell Amber, because it clearly involved her.

I looked up at the sky and gasped. The crescent moon was turned in a way it looked like a smile. Dark clouds above it resembled eyes, a brooding glare. The ocean reflected that face in the sky. It was as if the sky was glaring directly at me and me only. It was as if someone was watching me. Feeling frightened, I turned away from the moon to look at the forest beyond the beach. Where was I, anyway? The place did not feel familiar.

Then it suddenly made sense. How could I have been so dumb? The beach, the angelic woman, her song, the sky, they were all part of the same thing. This was a mere dream, but not one my brain had produced. This bizarre dream had been put into my head.

I turned around and glared back fiercely at the sky. The clouds arranged themselves to resemble a confused stare, but the crescent moon was still in its position, like a smile. "Get out of here!" I barked. A gigantic blue sphere formed in front of me. It was an abnormal Aura Sphere, a powerful one, too. I lunged toward it and kicked it as hard as I could. The Aura Sphere was sent flying into the sky, before slamming into the mocking face. Upon impact, the sky began to shatter. Yes, everything was a mere dream.

Like glass, the sky broke and fell apart. Sharp chunks fell into the ocean and the sand, one landing beside me. I stared into it; it reflected my image. I looked up, but was blinded as the sun rose, creating a new mantle of blue.

I sat back down on the sand, which began to turn into grass. The beach was replaced with a prairie. I was molding the landscape I wanted, as this was my dream. Tall trees formed in a circle around the prairie, hills began to ascend from the ground. I was sitting on one. Flowers bloomed all so beautifully. I lied down on the soft grass, put my paws behind my head, crossed my legs, and stared up at the clear blue sky.

"Michael," I heard a familiar call. That was odd; I hadn't imagined anyone! I raised my head, propelling myself with my elbows. There, standing on the hill opposite of mine, was my teacher, a frown on his pale face. I stood up and gasped. "Master Xepher!" I shouted. Xepher gave a weak smile. "It's good to see you." Xepher said. My eyes widened as I looked at his damaged body. He wore nothing but his organic (as in, made out of leaves) boxers, while most of his body was in bandages (also organic). His torso was completely bandaged, as well as his forearms. He had a scar on his cheek, but it was pink, so it was starting to heal.

"What happened to you?" I asked, my voice low in awe. Xepher's look was grim. This was bad. Something had happened. "_Traigo nuevas terribles_…" Xepher muttered, trembling. Bad news? What kind of bad news? I gritted my teeth and repeated my question in our language. "¿_Qué pasó?" _I questioned. Xepher scratched his arm lightly, trying not to hurt himself with his claw-like nails.

"It happened a few days ago during your absence. We were attacked by an army, all so suddenly and purposelessly. As you can see, I was wounded in battle." Xepher started explaining. My eyes were wide in shock, unable to even blink. "What about Foolish, my parents, the villagers?" I asked. "Foolish was sent to Ameithus City to be treated. His wounds were grave…but he's going to live. Michelle and Arturo…" He trailed off. My paws closed into fists. This was almost unbelievable. I was so confused, saddened, frightened, and frustrated at the same time. Something had happened to my parents, and I needed to know what. "What about my parents?" Xepher sighed. "Arturo has a broken arm and your mother had an emotional breakdown."

Xepher flicked his wrist and my landscape was demolished. We were standing in the middle of nothing, in a room completely bleak. "Tell Lady Calypso I'll be there right away, Xepher!" I growled. I was ready to wake up, about to pinch myself. But Xepher stopped me. "That won't be possible...eh…Lady Calypso is dead."

The next morning, I was up early. The girls were all still asleep, and the room was dim. I gasped as I realized there was a silver necklace resting on my pillow, glistening softly. It was the chain from my dream. How the Hell was it here? How could it be real? Or was my mind playing tricks on me? I picked it up; it was solid, real. What would I do with it?

I concluded the chain would be a nice gift. I hopped off my bed, grabbed my bag and put on my scarf. I pulled out my holographic notebook, which had been given to me by Canella to 'help me incorporate in this era'. It was a small, blue block that extended as soon as I touched it into a notebook. I flipped a page open by simply swinging my arm over it. I began to write using my bare paws on a blank hologram.

_Lady Calypso is dead. I am returning home for her funeral right now. I'll be back in a few days, please don't look for me. _

_Also, a lady appeared to me in my dreams and told me she's waiting for "the being of crimson", which I guess must be Amber, under the sea. I bet she has a Plate. I don't know who she was, but she had long brown hair, pale skin and silver eyes. Maybe one of you knows her. _

_PS: This chain is for Amber._

-_Michael P._

When I finished signing my name, I grabbed the page and ripped it off soundlessly. I set the hologram on top of the night table beside Amber's bed, and it shrunk down to an intangible cube. I grabbed the silver chain and placed it next to the cube.

I punched my notebook lightly, and it reverted back to its normal size before I put it back in my bag. I would tell my friends more about what I'd been told in my dream upon my return, but right now I was very determined to go back home.

I left the room and stealthily made my way through the building, avoiding being spotted by others who were awake. I made it to the lobby, but to my dismay, the secretary was awake. She was sharing laughs with a Machamp. Trying to go unnoticed, I slipped under the furniture, which wasn't very difficult, and made it all the way to the glass doors. I slipped outside after they opened automatically, which caused the secretary to look, but I rolled to the side, out of her view. Shrugging, the woman went back to her conversation.

I came to a halt as soon as I was near the water and slapped myself. How in the world would I make it to shore if I wasn't a water-type or had any gear? I heaved a heavy sigh. Well, so much for that plan. I kicked a random pebble into the salty water, and it sank till it was visible no more.

"You, Azalean," a guy called out from behind. I turned around to face C, the walking bush smaller than me. He walked up to me. "You just heard, didn't you?" He asked. I scowled. "About what?" I asked. "Your Lady Calypso has died. I'm so sorry." He said, sighing. My scowl deepened. Sorrow overtook me. "She was a great leader. But why does it concern you?" I asked. "You see, I lived in Azalea for a few years and befriended Calypso. I just received a letter inviting me to her funeral…I am on my way right now." C explained. I then noticed the bag behind him. It was a simple sack of leather that didn't look too heavy. "How?" I inquired. I couldn't picture him as a swimmer or diver. "In my Sky Form, I can fly. And on my Land Form, I can drive my submarine, go figure." He stated. Oh, right.

C motioned to his sack. "Mind getting my keys?" He asked. I shrugged and dug my paw in. I just felt around until I wrapped my paw on something cold and solid. I pulled out the keys, which C took with his vines. He walked over to the edge of the water and pressed a button on a key. A soft rumbling noise came from underwater as the Basculin-shaped submarine emerged and opened its mechanic jaw. C hopped onto the tongue. "Could you take me?" I suddenly said. C examined me and gave a Shaymin-ish shrug. I followed him inside the submarine. As soon as my feet touched the metal jaw, the entrance closed.

We arrived at the docks. The submarine submerged itself so it could not be seen. I looked into the horizon and realized it couldn't be later than 6:00am. The sun was yet to rise and the atmosphere was cold, very cold.

C guided me around the city. All of the smog around us was absorbed into C's back like it was nothing. His leaves were turning black with pollution. "Are you okay?" I asked him. He didn't stop walking, didn't turn to look at me. "Yeah, it's normal. Once we're in the wild I need to unload, though." He replied. We kept walking over the sidewalk, avoiding the numerous crooks that passed us. I watched the hovercrafts that flew by over the speed limit.

The guards didn't hesitate to open the gates. I followed C out of Stahlkraft and into the wild. I inhaled deeply, appreciating the clean natural air. "Stay here, give me a moment." C said. I sat down and waited as he ran a few feet away from me. At first, I thought I was getting ditched, but he stopped and curled up. When he uncurled, a tremendous amount of green energy was blasted from his body. The Seed Flare was like a wave as it split nearby trees in half. After a few seconds, C's flowers regained their red color and he walked back to me.

C dug into his sack and pulled out a pink flower with his mouth. "That thing can change your body, right?" I asked. He nodded and swallowed the flower. He smacked his lips. "Tastes worse every time…" He muttered. I blinked. That guy had just swallowed a flower. Shaymin were grass-types, so did that classify as cannibalism?

C's body became cloaked in yellow light and swirling petals. His form began to change; his legs grew longer, a neck extended, and wings sprouted from the sides of his head. His red flowers turned into a red scarf around his neck. His leaves retracted back into his body and the change was complete; he was in Sky Form. He was at least a foot taller than me thanks to his change in height. "I'm going to fly us there." He stated. I doubted he could support my weight in flight with such a scrawny body. "Are you sure you can carry weight while flying?" I questioned. He shrugged. "Well, you have two choices," he started. "You can either get on my back, or I can carry you around using Psychic." He stated. I grunted. "I'd rather take a ride." I said. C leaned down so I could properly sit on his backside.

C stayed still a bit to adjust to the burden. He was ready quickly, and began to walk forward, gradually faster until it became a run. With one big leap, wind blew from behind and C managed to take to the air. I found it odd how he didn't need to flap his wings to fly. Then again, Shaymin were legendary species; they couldn't be underestimated. I ignored the fact I was hundreds of feet above the ground and just took the time to think, to ponder on the recent events.

A couple of days ago I had watched my friends bleed, yesterday I had been on the verge to go find Amber, and today I was flying back home to a funeral. A little voice in my head asked: "Is this the adventure you wanted?" and I shook my head. As C hovered above the Ilex Forest, I smiled, remembering the first time I saw my now best friend.

C had an ungraceful landing as he accidentally collided with a passing-by Noctowl. I fell off his back when he doubled over in the air, but I had a safe landing on a tree branch. I squeaked as I realized I'd fallen with my legs spread. Pain! So much pain! "_Mis bolas!" _I cried.

"_Hoye, joven," _Someone called out from under the tree. "_Bajate de ahí." _Yeah, what was I expected to do, let myself fall? I sighed deeply and jumped off the branch, landing on the grass and recoiling a bit. I looked up and saw my master Xepher. I would have grinned, but there was a deep solemn scowl on his face. His eyes were a bit red, as if he'd been crying, which was probable. "Master Xepher," I started, but he caught me off. "_Vente_ Michael, your parents will be happy to see you." He said. I didn't think starting up a conversation would be ideal, so I just began to walk toward the village. I knew the way by memory.

"Foolish is dying," Xepher suddenly said lowly. I perked my ears but didn't turn, not wanting to see if he had a mental breakdown. "_Y es por mi culpa."_ He stated. "No, it's not your fault." I comforted, but even if he was behind me, I knew he'd shaken his head. "You weren't there! _We _were shot _together. _I should've protected Foolish!" He cried. I scowled and turned to him. "How exactly would you have done it, huh? Use your body as a shield? _Hombre, despierta!_" I barked. "Foolish will be fine. Now, quit your crying and calm down." I probably sounded like a huge jerk, but, well, I had to be jerky sometimes. Xepher wiped his nose with his sleeve. I hadn't noticed the outfit he was wearing; it looked modern, unlike anything he'd worn before. It was a black shirt under a bulletproof jacket (why did he need that?), and tight black jeans. He had a speakerphone on his ear and a GPS pendant hanging by a brown thread around his neck. Despite the fancy outerwear, he was barefoot.

"What up with that?" I asked him, trying to change the subject, pointing to his accessories. Xepher placed his hand over the GPS pendant. "¿_Esto? _It's just a fancy contraption one of those foreigners gave me. I can localize anyone using it." He stated. He grabbed the pendant and ripped it off the thread, offering it to me. It was a round object with a blue surface; it could easily be mistaken for jewelry.

I opened the lid of the GPS pendant. There was a blue screen with a map of Johto displayed. A sprite of a Riolu was flickering on top of the spot that represented Azalea. Wait, was that me? "You've been tracking me all along?" I inquired, still staring at how funny the Riolu sprite looked. There were other sprites spread across the map, including an Umbreon in Ameithus, which was obviously Foolish. There was one of a Zoroark on Stahlkraft City, which was northeast from here. Who was that? And weren't Zoroark extinct? I only knew what they were like from their pictures on history books. "_Sí, _sorry, but I worry about you." Xepher replied. "Xepher…who is that?" I asked, pointing at the Zoroark. Xepher then yanked the pendant from my hand and drew a thread from his pocket. He tied it around his neck and hung the GPS pendant. "That's the woman who attacked us," He stated. "I'm going to track her down, _y me vengaré._" He said. "Vengeance is never the answer…" I muttered, but deep in my head, a voice said: _Sometimes, it is. It soothes the soul._

Xepher walked me back to the Azalea, or what was left of it. Patches of grass were charred, trunks of trees were burnt by the once flaming arrows still stuck to them. Out of the original thirty, fifteen cabins remained, and they were damaged. The leaves, the flowers, the shrine had blood stains all over. Several weapons were strewn on the ground as well as some broken ones, such as spears and arrows. I was dumbstruck as I watched my ruined home. The cabin where I lived was still standing, but it was extremely damaged; a rough gust could tear it down.

"Michael!" I heard Papa shout. I turned to look at the direction his voice came from and saw him running to me. "_Papá_!" I called. He tried to pick me up, but one of his arms was broken, hence he dropped me. It didn't hurt; I ignored having been dropped on the hard ground. "Son, I'm so glad you're okay." Papa said, kneeling down to my eye level. "Where's Mama?" I asked. He closed his eyes and sighed. "She's okay. Come on, let's go see everyone." Papa said as he offered me his good hand.

As I walked across the charred grass of Azalea, I couldn't help but wonder who had done this, and why. Everything was horrible! We reached the center of Azalea, where the beat up shrine still stood. The Gracidea that once bloomed in front of it had only one petal remaining, the rest were nowhere to be seen.

In front of the shrine was a green glass casket. Pink petals decorated the area around it. Azaleans were gathered around the casket, mumbling words of sorrow and some even crying. The foreigners were comforting those who wept. My mother was blowing her nose on a tissue. I was frowning as I walked toward the event. As soon as she spotted me, Mama tossed the tissue aside and tackled me. "Mikey! Oh, my Mikey!"

"It's _Michael_, Mama." I corrected her as she almost squeezed the air out of me. "Lady Calypso _falleció!" _Mama cried. "_Lo se." _I sighed, remembering when I'd been told about our leader's passing. Mama let go of me and sniffled. Her eyes looked redder than normal: she'd been crying. "I do have good news." She said, her lips forming a slight smile. I perked a brow. "Your sister's here for the funeral." She stated. My eyes widened.

I had not seen my sister for several months, and the last I'd heard of her was when she wrote us a letter in November. She had left the Azalea Village, the Johto region to be exact, to travel around the Kanto region. According to Mama, she had left because Papa wanted her to be part of Azalea's soldiers, while she didn't. However, Papa had his own theory; she left to train in foreign lands and get stronger. I honestly didn't know what to believe; my sister was very unpredictable.

If what Mama stated was correct, I'd get to see my sister again today. I felt excited about seeing her after so long, but for some reason my face wouldn't arrange itself into the happy look I wanted to show. I had a very strange feeling in my heart, something ominous and unfathomable…

"Oh, residents of Azalea," a male called from behind the casket that contained the body of our leader. We all turned our attention to him, except for those who didn't understand English, who were then motioned by others to pay attention. The pokemon that would give the funeral sermon was none other than the old Great Absol, who sat on his hind legs with an earnest look on his face. "Let us pray to the great gods that watch over us," the old dark type continued, stopping only to cough slightly. "So that they may accept the soul of this great woman into Heaven."

The Great Absol continued his religious sermon uninterrupted, not even by the hysterical crying of a middle aged woman, who was the mother of the deceased. As he went on, I tuned him out, thinking about how he had started. He had mentioned the great gods. But one thing I had never understood was: _what_ great gods? Who exactly received prayers, if the Creator was supposedly locked in eternal rest, unaware of the universe? Was it Ho-oh, the goddess I had met personally? I had no clue, no idea as to whom our religion referred to.

Old books spoke of certain pokemon that were looked up at and feared as wise, paramount beings with incredible, exclusive abilities. These pokemon were soon labeled as Legendary Pokemon, due to most legends having to do with one of them. I remembered having read a book about an ancient civilization that believed the Creator had human appearance, and was a judgmental, cruel god. Many different civilizations had different believes, up until the day the legendary pokemon began to reveal themselves to humans and pokemon. No book states when exactly that happened, but I always believed that event had been the birth of the new Zekrom and Reshiram, who were probably the first "discovered" legendary pokemon.

To be honest, I had no specific belief. I did know the story of the origin, and I had faith. Aside from the Divine Triad, the name given to the three beings who lived before time, I considered no other pokemon a deity; superior beings, perhaps, but not gods.

"You shall be missed, Lady Calypso Ducere of Ilex." The Great Absol finished his speech and muttered a few blessings in Latin. Everyone was hanging their head in sorrow, not saying a thing. I was standing between my parents, who were also very quiet.

I separated from my parents and stepped closer to the coffin. There lay the cold, lifeless form of Lady Calypso, and her face was blank. She was fully naked, but those areas unwanted to the eye were covered by pink petals. Her arms were resting on her chest, fingers interlocked. There was a long, sown-up wound running along her neck. Upon the sight I understood how she had been murdered; her windpipe had been slit open. I felt a rough shudder throughout my body; I felt angry and sad at the same time.

Lady Calypso, deceased at age thirty-one, had been the leader of Azalea since 3040, long before my birth. Everyone loved her and followed her orders; she never had to worry about her village's fidelity. She had always been kind to me, and even taught me survival skills, something she did to all the younglings. It felt horrible, to see her like this, so cold and unmoving…

"_En su testamento, nuestra Señora pidió que la kremaran."_ A Meganium stated sadly. After hearing that, the mother cried some more, not caring to wipe the tears from her eyes. I was shooed away from the casket. Then, a Latias (whose name was Teph, if memory served) floated up holding a torch. Reluctantly and sadly, she set fire to one of the petals on Lady Calypso's body. Just as she had wished in her will, one prepared long ago, Calypso would be reduced to ash.

The fire slowly began to spread from petal to petal, emitting an oddly sweet aroma of burning flesh. I turned away not wishing to watch, but my eyes landed on Victor, Calypso's ten-year-old son. His eyes were hollow of any emotion as he just stood there watching his mother's body burn. His face was tainted with dry tears and his eyes were red. There were a few cuts and bruises around his olive skin, but they didn't look fatal.

Victor never turned away. He just stared motionless at the casket. I felt sorry for him but bewildered at the same time: how could he be blank seeing his mother like this? Was it maybe shock? I had never gotten to know him better, but I knew he was very attached to Calypso.

"Victor, lo lamento." I muttered to the kid. He narrowed his eyes and glared at me. I flinched at the rage behind those eyes, a murderous stare. I looked away, trying to avoid a conflict. I couldn't really feel offended by that. Losing a familiar was rough.

Speaking of familiars…

"Yo, Michael, my man."

I sighed in exasperation. A soft white hand was upon my shoulder. A giggle was heard and I could swear she was smirking. "_Hola_, Reina." I said without the need to turn around. "You remember my name; that's good!" She chirped. "Now let me get a good look at those adorable eyes of yours!" I was suddenly lifted into the air, wrapped in Psychic energy. I was set down in front of Reina, who looked as smug as ever. "Oh gods, they're bluer! How nice!" Reina complimented. I gave a sad frown. "How can you possibly be happy at a time like this?"

My sister Reina, the world's number one weirdo! There was absolutely nothing that could kill her mood; it was as if she _decided_ when to feel a certain sensation. Even though she could detect the emotions of others using the red horns on her head, she seemed unaware or unaffected, since the dread in the air was almost concrete. She gave a quick twirl and hummed a tune.

"I'm trying to contradict all these negative emotions I'm receiving," she started after another twirl. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy at all, but I can't let that show. If I do, my body will produce proper depression." Reina explained. "All this spiritual talk is getting me confused." I stated, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. "I just understood that you're trying to lighten the mood." I said. She shrugged. "Eh, whatever floats your boat." As she said it, I noticed a glint of amusement in her eyes. Damn, did she find my ignorance entertaining?

Unlike regular Kirlia, Reina's eyes were of a sky blue like mine. Under her eye was a very faint scar that looked fresh, but I doubted it had a tragic back-story. Knowing her, she most likely got it in a cooking sort of matched her natural white and green skin. Judging by the item, maybe my father's theory of her being away for training was correct. I'd have to ask her, but now was not the time.

Suddenly, I regained interest in the burning carcass. I stared at it. The vivid crimson flames danced along Calypso's body, slowly consuming what remained of her. This death was affecting everyone, and in a devastating way...

I reached for my face, and was not surprised to discover it was raining...both from the sky and from my eyes.

"Phoebus," A bitter male voice called. I couldn't recognize it, hence I was shocked after slowly turning around to face the one most beloved to Amber. His eyes were hollow of any emotion...blank. He seemed to be struggling just to levitate only three feet from the ground. A long horrid gash started at his neck veritcally and didn't actually end. Instead of blood, what oozed from the injury was a sinister, dark purple paranormal gas that kept flowing upwards and dissolved before reaching his head, shrinking into tiny orbs before dissolving into thin air. The cut looked as if it could have severed him in half...

"Morty...what the Hell happened here?"

* * *

_**Armstrong**_

Up to this point, my plan was going better than anything those _imbeciles _could envisage. I could even earn a promotion in rank. Or better yet...overthrow Mewtwo as our lord's right hand. Yes. That sounded much better. I could not care less as to what my husband would think about that, although I planned on keeping it secret until it was fulfilled.

I was steering my personal flying saucer, which had the function of invisibility so I could transport myself with stealth, towards Stahlkraft City. Everything was much to peaceful; usually the city was bustling with noise of sirens and gunshots. As I entered the area, I descended slightly to avoid the nearly solid smog that obscured the vision of any air vehicle.

There was a beep. A holographic screen appeared beside me and beeped again. I set the vehicle on autopilot and turned to the hologram, which read INCOMING TRANSMITION. I pressed my gloved hand to the surface to accept. The screen then showed me the young man calling. He was new to the military, which was why I had a tough time remembering who the hell he was. He had short white hair (odd for his age) with short spiky bangs, big but shifty blue eyes, and skin pale as a white baby's. He looked tense.

"General Armstrong, sir," He said, putting his hand to his forehead as a salute as it was proper. I had strictly forbidden being adressed as madam or ma'am even though I was female, as those names were usually applied to elderly women. Sir, however, could be classified as unisex in the military.

I was unamused at his poor attempt to appear formal. "Sergeant Salazan, state your business." I demanded as I crossed my arms. He inhaled deeply. "I just needed to inform you that we are having problems with our special _prisoner, _sir_._" He stated with a scowl. This caught my attention and nipped on my tolerance.

"Report said problems." I ordered. Sergeant Salazan nodded firmly and ran away from the screen for a moment. When he came back, he had a paper in his hand. He read it for me. "The prisoners continues to struggle. Restraints have loosened and broken several times. Soldiers, we currently have thirty injured and sixty-eight dead."

The numbers were alarming, yet disappointing. I was expecting a larger number of casualties considering the paramount strenght of our special prisoner. Lord Biomegas would surely be amused and irked by these news. That was probably why the Sergeant was contacting me and not our lord directly. Most soldiers relied on my husband and I for communication with our lord.

"That is quite odd. I will contact HQ and have them send in more scientists and paramedics. How many do you need?" I inquired. Salazan thought about it for a moment. "Two hundred soldiers would suffice, sir. We need about twenty mechanics as well, maybe a few Magnezone could help." He replied. I nodded and groaned. "Is that all?" I muttered.

"Yes, sir, please pardon my interruption." Salazan said as he reached for the button that would end the call. I quickly shoved my hand at the screen, halting him on the spot. "I would like a look at the prisoner." I stated. Salazan blinked and nodded firmly. He carefully grabbed the screen and shifted it so I could have a marvelous view.

Inside of the cavern laboratory, reaching nearly twenty feet in height, was our prisoner restrained by chains and wires that discharged set amounts of watts to keep it subdued. Its wings were being restrained against the wall by more wires and leather straps. It was concealed in a large, vertical glass tube big enough to be considered a room. That tube was surrounded by machines and computers manned by scientist humans and pokémon.

It eyes began to open, and they landed on the screen. I felt astonishment when it lashed its head against the glass, emitting an ear-piercing roar.

"_GYYYYYYAAA!" _

"You know your place." I mocked. The scientist scrambled around in fear towards the creature. Finally, one pulled a lever that caused the wires to discharge tremendous electric power.

"_GYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAA!" _

Subdued, the beast looked pathetic. Ironically, it contained a power beyond imagination that Lord Biomegas was resolute on obtaining. Somehow, that power was still sealed, and still unobtainable by even our greatest scientists.

Salazan appeared back on the screen. "Anything else, sir?" He asked. I thought about it...he looked bored, so why not send him for some fun? "Yes. Sergeant, I have a special assignement for you." I stated. He perked a brow. "Meet me in Stahlkraft City's beach at five. You will be my escort to the Whirl Islands." I demanded. Salazan saluted me and nodded. "Sir, yes, sir!"

"Do me a favor," I began. "Direct this call to Lord Biomegas."

* * *

"This better be worth my time, General Armstrong." My Lord boomed with his deep and intimidating voice. I could not see him clearly; he was lying on his bed inside his dark alcove, the only, _only, _light being the bright one that emanated from his eyes that reddened whenever he was in a bad mood. I gulped and hoped his displeasure was at anyone but me.

I saluted toward the screen and inhaled deeply. My heart always raced whenever I spoke to the dictator. "Yes, my lord, please forgive the interruption. I have news from our soldiers at the Whirl Islands of Johto." I said, trying to remain steadfast. In reality, nobody could be unflinching when speaking to Lord Biomegas. His glare alone made you turn to stone. Rumors had it this was a fact.

"Proceed." The supreme being allowed.

"The prisoner has resisted, wounded thirty, and killed sixty-eight. They need renforcements from HQ." I declared.

"Very well, I shall tend to that." He said nonchalantly. "Now, tell me, General Armstrong," He suddenly began, red eyes beginning to slowly recover their onyx shade. Hence, the light of the room dimmed further. "How goes your infiltration?"

"Excellent, my lord. Still no casualties. I am heading towards Stahlkraft City to do as you have requested." I answered.

He chuckled. "Fantastic. I hope the date does not alter your good luck streak, General." To this, I frowned and perked an eyebrow. "The date, my lord? What day is it, if I may ask?" I had to keep everything I said professional. The slightest disrespectful remark could cost me my head.

"Today is February 7." Lord Biomegas replied. I looked it over in my mind, trying to remember if February 7th had any foul history. Nothing came up; that date was sort of neutral.

"Forgive me, my lord, but isn't seven a lucky number?" I inquired carefully. He seemed amused at my statement.

"Insolent woman," he chuckled, although his tone didn't sound angry at all, so I did not feel insulted. "Seven _was _a lucky number, but during _my _empire it is not. In case you have forgotten, the number 777 represents my _beloved _sister," he spat that with hatred, "It always has in all religious texts. In turn, the number 666 has always been attributed to _me_."

_The number of the Beast, _I thought. I wasn't much of a historian, but I did recall having read about those digits during my days in the military academy.

Lord Biomegas then laughed, the sound echoing around his alcove. "Well, General, you have enlightened my mood. You have my blessings for your mission. Farewell." The screen went black.

As loyal as I was towards my lord...I couldn't help but wonder: were Lord Biomegas' blessings a good thing or a bad thing?

Reaching the docks, I parked my saucer on a rooftop. It was already nightfall. I jumped down from the tall building, quickly willing my body to reshape. I started to feel pain from my diamond eye, something that always happened whenever I needed to transform. Five minutes later, I raked my claws against a palm tree, and headed towards the secret entrance to the undersea cavern.

The deadline of the seven days had been met.

* * *

_**Nicole**_

Six days had passed after Michael's departure to Azalea. Since then, we'd received no news of him, but I was sure he was okay. During this time Amber and I took the liberty to study the FRI a little closer. We'd met a few people and learned how things worked at the institution.

First of all and most importantly, the absolute leader of the FRI was the large Charizard by the name Scar. Apparently, he had inherited his spot from the previous president. Second, the FRI was dead serious about secrecy. They wouldn't hesitate to kill any Omegan intruders who by hook or by crook managed to infiltrate the hidden undersea cavern. Third, the institution had very awesome weapons I had absolutely no access to, because sometimes life sucked.

I spent my six days under the watchful eyes of instructors and guards. I mostly spent my time in the gym, which was divided into five sections: Target Range, Obstacle Course, Water Course (a pool), Evasion Room, and the Battlefield. Each served its own purpose. I checked one of them each day.

On the first day, I'd woken up in the afternoon only to find myself alone in our room. When I had finally managed to get a hold of Amber, she'd somberly told me Michael was away for a funeral. There was a very weird look on her face; she was hiding something. Not being one to pry, I let it slip. The rest of my afternoon was spent with the institution's tour guide. He had shown me around the building and given me explicit detail about everything. At first I was very attentive, but soon the man started to annoy me as he went on and on about little things I cared little for. Yeah, so I wasn't able to shake him off until evening came and I had dinner with Amber and Sasuka. Afterwards I walked around a little bit before going back to my room and succumbing to sleep.

In those six days I checked out each course and trained in them, except for the pool. I didn't like swimming.

Today, something much unexpected had happened. Amber came up to me with a solemn and impatient stare and asked me, "Want to move forward?"

I'd perked a brow and given her a what-the-hell look. I didn't know what she meant by that statement, but knowing her, it HAD some deep meaning. I'd pursed my lips and inquired, "What do you mean?"

Amber had sighed in displeasure and walked past me. She seemed greatly irritated, even after the day had gone so smoothly with the nice breakfast and successful training. Before she could slip out of the building through the glass doors, a large shadow was casted over me. Heat radiated from it. I yelped and turned to look at the big fat lizard who governed the FRI. Fucking lizard almost made me pee myself from shock.

"Salvador, where are you going?" Chief Scar demanded. Amber sighed and replied without needing to turn.

"I'm going for a walk." Liar. There wasn't a road to walk on inside the cavern. Plus, she didn't like being alone for long periods of time. She'd never admitted it but it was pretty damn obvious.

"Not without an escort. I'll contact Range in a moment." Scar said. It was more of a demand than an offer. I saw a look of annoyance flash in Amber's eyes, so I quickly jumped in to the rescue.

"No need! I'll go! No better escort than a best bud, right?" I chirped, running toward Amber and looking at Scar with a fake, nearly insane smile. A smirk presented itself on Scar's face, hence he was satisfied. He folded his arms, lowered his head, and closed his eyes coolly.

"Good. You may leave…" The Charizard said. We both nodded. We turned to leave, and in an instant, Scar was there to open the door for us. He pushed it open gently despite his strong arm. We looked up, and Scar locked eyes with Amber. There was such an intensity in that stare down…I felt like I didn't belong, as if they had known each other for years, while it was…

…Possible.

"Careful out there, Salvador…"

"No need to worry, L…Chief Scar." Amber said. For a second I thought she was going to say another name. So my hypothesis was possible. There was a connection. And I hated not being informed.

Impatient, I'd shoved Amber out.

Hours had passed since then…night had fallen…

That was how I ended up in front of a huge stone gate with ancient engravings. The doors were sealed shut with a large lock above with was an oval hole, probably the place for the key. Everything was silent, the only sound I could hear was the breathing of Amber and I and my own heartbeats.

This was most definitely not a mere walk. "Amber, where the hell are we?" Amber was sitting in front of the gate, focusing on something I was unaware of. "I should've told you earlier," she began in an apologizing tone. "This is my next obstacle." She stated.

My eyes widened. Of course. That explained a lot. It was no wonder she was on a bitch mood. "You mean," I began, angling my eyes. "There's a Plate in here?" I asked, though the answer was obvious.

"Yes." Amber replied. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. You can head back with the teleporter I have." Amber said. She pulled out the small round device and turned to me, but I shook my head.

"You kidding? I've been urging for some action! What are we waiting for?" I yelled excitedly. Yeah, almost two weeks had gone by and I was beginning to feel rusty. The truth was, my life had gotten more exhilarating since this whole quest for the sacred Plates had begun, even though I wasn't starring in it. This was a million times better than sitting at school listening to my mother go on and on about boring things.

My mother…she had to be alive. There was no reason for her to not be. Right now I was too far away from Sinnoh, and had absolutely no contact with her whatsoever. I wondered, how was she? Did she miss me? One thing was for sure: I was in for some major scolding and beatings when I next saw her. And, in all honesty, I couldn't wait for that…

"Nicole," Amber suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I perked a brow and faced her. Her eyes were full of something unfathomable and a sad smile was on her face. "Yeah?" I questioned, sitting down on my hind legs to be eye-level with my friend.

"You are such a great friend…" Amber started. I immediately felt flustered. "Why do you always say yes? Even when I might be leading you to your second doom…you're excited about it. Why…why can't you look out for yourself? Make your own decisions?" She inquired. Her words hit deep, and for once in my life I was faced with a serious question with no valid answer.

I could have told her the truth about everything. Somehow, that sounded like a difficult task. When I opened my mouth to say something, Amber interrupted me. "You remind me of someone back in the day…you are almost exactly like her…" It was impossible; my human life had been around 2980. Amber came from 2012. There was no way we could have met as humans, unless the Lord of Time was screwing things up on purpose.

"But we had never met before; you must have the wrong Delcatty." I half-joked. Amber still kept a thoughtful gaze. "I know that; it's not what I meant. You act…just like I did before I started to ascend through the ranks of the Pokémon League."

So that was it…I somehow resembled Amber's younger self. As screwed-up as it sounded, it actually made sense…I'd never told her my previous age, so it wasn't weird for her to make that comparison. Oh wait…then that meant she was older than me. Shit.

Then...I felt a tug in my heart. I spoke my true answer to Amber's previous question without even arranging it in my mind first.

"Hey, might as well live life to the fullest. I want to make up for the time I didn't have before, I want to be part of something big. I want to live my life and complete it. _That _is the true reason I will never say no to you on this quest. _This _is what I was reborn to do."

* * *

**Oh Nicole, no better ending-chapter words have ever been spoken. **

**Yo! *avoids flaming arrows and lasers* Okay, okay, I know I've been neglecting ya'll. It's no my fault...it's just...just...SCHOOL. Ya'll can forgive me, right? I dedicated this whole afternoon to update! ^_^ **

**Down to business. So in case you haven't noticed, I changed the rating of OA from T to M. Yeah...I'd been pondering on that for a while. I concluded OA meets the standards to be rated Mature:**

**1) Violence (on certain chapters)**

**2) Language**

**3) Dark themes**

**4) Mature themes**

**Enough, right? Oh and don't worry, NO SEXUAL CONTENT will be here. Some references, maybe, but no content. **

**Personally, I think this turned out well. I enjoyed writting Michael's POV, and it's quite noticeable since the other three are rather short. So in this chapter I finally laid down a total change, which is the separation of our wonderful trio. Don't worry, they'll get back together soon...in like two chapters. I actually felt a little depressed while writting Calypso's funeral...I really, really liked her. Hell, I didn't even mean to kill her off so soon. (ANA, YOU AND YOUR DAMN SUGGESTIONS! Lol, you good, girl) I honestly had more plans for her in the beginning, but I guess things just happened abruptly. She will be missed...**

**Slightly off topic, I hope you remember General Dominique Armstrong, though. If you need a refresh, then just jump to her debut chapter, number 16: The General's Assault. Yeah. Oh and if you squint real hard, you'll notice in chap 16 at the end of her POV that I was practically announcing she'd be back in Stahlkraft. By the way, WHO LIKES HER? I based her off a manga/anime character, however I made my OC almost identical to her. ****Okay, I have no special character profile for you today (sad panda ;o;), so instead I'll add some trivia. **

**-Dominique Armstrong is based off Major General Olivier Armstrong from the _Fullmetal Alchemist _series.**

**-AlexandrianShipping is freakin' cannon here.**

**-The name of Michael's sister, _Reina_, literally means _queen_ in Spanish. **

**-Michael can use Aura Sphere only in his dreams. (Literally, you can yell at him: "In your dreams!") **

**-The last name I gave Jasmine here, _Cuori, _means _heart _in Latin. Why did I choose it? It sounds pretty. **

**-The first surrname given to Lady Calypso, Ducere, _means _leader in Greek (or Hebrew, I forgot).**

**That's it for now! NEXT CHAPTER: Full of action, suspense, and thrillers! The fight for the next Plate hidden inside the lighthouse! **

**Now, you know the rules...**

**ALL HAIL DA QUEEN!**


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